This is Halloween! - Top 5 Spooky Hidden Gems

'Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?'

I thought that for Halloween I'd highlight some books that either get overlooked or unfairly forgotten. I'm something of a fan of all things horror and gothic - so I'm going to give you fair warning that these books are not for those who scare easy. If you've got the stomach for it, then read on...

1. For the Rock Fan - Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Judas Coyne is an old rocker with a thing for collecting macabre and occult objects. He may have just bought the real deal.


This was the first book I read by Joe Hill. This was the start of my love of his work. I adore this book. It may be too scary/spooky/grim for some - Hill has horror running through his veins - but for anyone up for a walk on the darker side of life, I seriously recommend this. The quality of the writing speaks for itself; this is easily one of my favourite books.


2. For the Scandi-Noir Fan - Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

1981. Sweden. A bullied twelve-year-old, Oskar - finds a friend, Eli. Eli is not all she seems. And people are dying.


This is not a book for the faint-hearted. Fair warning. These are not the vampires who sparkle - these are the kind of vampires based in the gritty realism of Scandinavian winter. It also involves some fairly uncomfortable social problems - including a character who is a paedophile. While Lindqvist's deftness with difficult topics is evident even through the translation, this is still highly disturbing fair.

3. For Your Inner Goth - Florence & Giles by John Harding

New England in 1891. Neglected by their guardian, Florence and Giles have made their own entertainment. But then there's what happened to the last governess, and Florence's suspicions of the new one.


This book has a fabulous twisted feel to it - truly gothic. Inspired by The Turn of the Screw, and devilishly readable, all fans of spooky period drama, and things that go bump in the night, will be thrilled. This isn't particularly long, and has quite a fast pace to it; plus some real page-turning credentials.

4. For the Movie Fan - The Crow by J O'Barr

Eric Draven has a score to settle. The Crow has brought his spirit back to wreak his vengeance.


Born of grief, and plagued by it's own mythos, The Crow has developed something of a life of its own. Long before the film which would be Brandon Lee's last, there was the graphic novel. This is not a happy book. It is graphic. It is violent. There is rape, drugs, and murder. For all that, there's something about which is sublimely beautiful - it's a piece of art. I had the great pleasure of meeting James O'Barr once (one of my heroes, if you must know) - and he is a genuinely lovely person, despite everything he's been through in his life.

 

5. For All Horror Fans - NOS4R2/NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

Some people creates worlds in their heads. Vic McQueen has her bridge, Charlie Manx has Christmasland.


You can find my full review of this novel here. This is another fantastic book from Joe Hill. It's long, but very much worth the read. I do recommend that if you're not ok with having your childhood memories possibly irreparably ruined, you read this at any time except Christmas. I'm just saying.

Friday Fics Fix! (In Which the Blogger Falls Off the FrostIron Wagon)

I tried to stay away from Frostiron. I tried to read Stucky, Stony, Johnlock, even the odd bit of Capsicoul. In the end though, I fell off the wagon and just climbed right back onto that ship. I think I may've sold my soul.

So, I may as well drag you all down with me. These are the fics that've captured my, albeit warped, attention this week - telling tales of Iron Man and Loki in love, with much angst and what is almost certainly PTSD.

I've Got You by BonesXLI - this is a slightly heart-breaking drabble (short one-shot (one part) fic,) which involves Loki having nightmares. Poor Loki.

Holding Hands by Flawless_Imperfection - More unpleasantness for Loki here as he has flashbacks of torture.

That Kind of Marriage by Runic - Thor decides to save his brother from, yep, that's right, torture, by marrying him off to Tony Stark. Because that solves everything (shifty glances.) This then rapidly descends into gay porn - so 18+ only (stay in school, don't rob banks, yadda yadda yadda...)

Help me, hjepe meg by Donya - More torture here. And the aftermath of rape. And some PTSD and unintentional self-harm. Plus, Thor is not a good person here. And Cap is less understanding than you'd think. This is quite dark, so 18+ please (a blogger has to try, but I know you'll end up doing whatever you want.)

Comics Wrap Up - Little Gods and Political Problems

Two Marvel comics to include in my wrap-up this week - I picked up a load of comics cheap recently, and Vengeance (#4 of 6) was part of that haul. Despite the cover (which is all artistic-y - look at the artistic-y-ness!) this actually features young teen Loki, rather than his adult form. Kid Loki is freaking adorable. This is part of the Vengeance mini-series, which is about a young team of heroes, trying to help the forces of chaos and order to stay balanced, while a new team of young villains try to do away with the old heroes and villains alike. Because they are a**holes. I really enjoyed it. And the inclusion of a Latina bisexual hero - Miss America (America Chavez) and a black hero - Angel Salvadore - is an awesome addition. Not least because they are both awesome heroines in general. Could have done without some of the unrealistic and totally impractical shots of Chavez's boobs, but this is a comic book - multiple universes we can do, but the heroine at some point will probably have breasts that defy physics.

And so to that most ethnically diverse of superhero teams, and Uncanny X-men #388 (World's End Part 1 of 4.) This is a 2001 comic that's sort of reviewing old ground as far as plot is concerned. This is mainly concerned with Senator Robert Kelly, Mystique's plan to assassinate him (her second plan, they've done this cat-and-mouse game before,) and the ramifications for the future (the future-mutants Bishop and Cable are faffing around.) My advice to you with this one? Don't bother too much about the details. With so much time-travel and rebooting flying around, you're just going to get confused if you try to keep too hard a grip on the ins-and-outs. Just enjoy the ride my friends. Also, I don't know why Mystique seems to be on steroids on the cover - she just is. There are a few... larger-than-life depictions of pretty much everyone here - it seems to just have been the style they were going for. To be fair, it's pretty affective - the artwork in this issue is really awesome.

Reviewing the Evidence - Angelfall by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall (US Link)
Author: Susan Ee
Genre: angel, paranormal, dystopian, YA
Series: Penryn and the End of Days (#1)

A few starting notes:


This is a young adult angel book that's also dystopian - I'm talking the apocalypse. Hold on tight, there are some things to say here.

Premise:

It's been six weeks since the angels returned to earth; the angels are not the friends of humanity. The angels are here to destroy everything.

Penryn Young is trying to help her family to safety. This is made more complicated when her sister, Paige, is kidnapped by angels. Penryn had to get her back. Add an injured angel to the mix, and you've got a whole lot of trouble.

Best bits:

This is original; the premise mixes the grit of dystopia with the otherworldly of angel books, creating something fresh. Written entirely in the present tense, the prose is sparse - something which I thoroughly applaud. Words are not wasted here, and I'm a big fan of short sentences with impact.

There is no insta-love - it's always awesome when relationships develop instead of erupt. In fact, despite the romantic subplot, I don't think the words 'I Love You' are ever spoken - another great point.

I'm also pleased that the author has attempted to add in some diversity of characters. True, I have some issues with the way both physical disability and mental illness are portrayed - which I'll discuss in the next section - but the very fact that Ms Ee has tried to include these characters in the book is a positive. I also love that the main character, Penryn, is a carer - complete with conflicting thoughts and self-sacrifice to a destructive level. Believe me when I say that there are not enough books that depict carers - let alone ones that paint a realistic picture. This does a half-decent job; and I know that Penryn's feelings and determination are very realistic for someone in her position.

Not so great bits:

I have some problems with the representation of physical disability and mental illness in this book. Paige, Penryn's little sister, is wheelchair bound; that is fine - what isn't fine is the pedestal Paige seems to inhabit. She's just not realistic; no seven year old girl is that saintly, serving only as an idealised damsel in distress for Penryn to rescue and feel responsible for. She needed to like, throw a tantrum, or laugh at the word 'booger,' or do something stupid for the hell of it. If someone is too good, they become unreal.

The portrayal of mental illness - Penryn's mother is a paranoid schizophrenic - is blunt at best. Penryn's mother is seen as little more than a liability - a potential danger to Penryn and Paige. She has very few moments of lucidity. Penryn (whose POV we are following here,) portrays her with a level of disdain that could do with some tempering. There just doesn't seem to be enough recognition of their mother as someone who has thoughts and feelings beyond the 'craziness' the plot calls for; and there's certainly not enough recognition that their mother is, in her own way, just as innocent as the saintly Paige.

This book gets gory. A lot. And a lot of people won't like that. There's also the aforementioned depictions of mental health. And there's a fair amount of stuff that wouldn't be out of place in a horror novel - including cannibalism. People of a religious persuasion may be offended by the part of the angels as cruel and arrogant creatures, many of whom have some pretty nasty things lurking in their pasts.

Verdict:

This is a page turner. There are some downsides, but over all this is fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.

Nerd Church! - Juno Dawson's Diversity List

Hey everyone! I'm probably, as you're reading this, off on nerd pilgrimage to my local comic-con, happily basking in my nerdiness.

So, instead of leaving you all high and dry, I thought I'd leave this link to a list of diverse YA fiction from the author Juno Dawson. Enjoy - and I hope you find something to add to your tbr list - I know I will. I first found this list through this post on Tumblr - which has a bunch of awesome cover pics all smushed together for the visuals to be all visually visual (I haven't even had coffee, what is wrong with me?)

Friday Fics Fix! (In Which the Blogger Regrets Her Life Choices)

I haven't found this post easy this week guys - honestly. It's just... the internet! All of the depravity! I'm seriously struggling to find a fic that I've read this week which I can share with you in good conscience.

I've seen some stuff man, oh God, have I seen some stuff.

So, while I try and deal with my extreme scarring at the metaphoric hands of the internet, I'll leave you with some Johnlock fluff (def: John and Sherlock romantic stuff that doesn't get sexy.)

The appropriately named Johnlock One shot by hallucilucifer is cute, short, and safe. As in, there aren't any scenes which will have you questioning what you're doing with your life.

Hopefully I'll have a bit more for you next week, but I've fallen into a deep dark den of disturbing fics with nary a rope in sight to pull me out (and I just used the word 'nary,' I think I need help.) If you have any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them - particularly if they restore my faith in humanity. I've spent too much time on ao3.

(Fangirling note: the two main fanfiction sites (excluding Tumblr) are Fanfiction.net and An Archive of Our Own (or ao3) - Fanfiction.net likes to pretend it's civilised: fur-coat, no-knickers, style. Whereas ao3... ao3 has no shame. Nobody ever pushes the 'Go back' button. Save our souls.)

Comics Wrap-Up - Disorientation and Vampires

Spring 1: Born Again, is another of the Double Take comics that I've been working my way through. I have to say, unfortunately, I wasn't impressed with this one. Apart from the unnecessary naked girl on the cover (which, let's face it, happens in comics from time to time,) and some of the (ahem) artwork that is most definitely not appropriate for younger audiences, I didn't actually have a clue what was going on. This may just have been me being a bit dull. But I have no clue what this was about - something to do with water? I was even confused about whether this was supposed to be one time period or two - there was 1960s stuff going on, and then what seemed to be modern stuff (though I'm not sure,) and I just got really disorientated with the whole thing (sigh.) Maybe I'll try reading it again some time - with more coffee in me - to see if it makes sense then.

The other comic-reading I've done this week is of the vampire variety - Halloween is coming up after all. I read Dark Horse Does Vampires Right - this is a sampler of vampire stories from Dark Horse - one of the larger non-Marvel, non-DC, publishers. Dark Horse's stable (ha, unintended horse pun,) tends to be quirky and/or slightly gothic. Vampires are one of their mainstays because of their rights to various Buffy the Vampire Slayer titles, which continue on past the show's seasons. Half of this collection of six tales involve titles from the Buffy pantheon - and I have to say, the Spike story bl***y rocked! I also love that the big, cataclysmic event, which changed everything in the Buffy universe was named 'Twilight,' somebody knew what it was they did - and is probably still chuckling to themselves to this day. The Strain and Baltimore stories were pretty cool - if a little creepy/bloody for some tastes. I like the art for the House of Night story - a comic adaptation of the House of Night YA novel series by P.C. and Kristin Cast. I've noticed a lot of YA gets adapted to comic/graphic novel form these days - which is pretty cool in my ever-so humble nerd-girl opinion. So, yeh, if you want a taste of Dark Horse's vampire titles, I do recommend this sampler - though it's perhaps a little mature for some readers.

Nerd Church! - 5 Bookish Ways to Chase Happiness

Ah happiness, that wriggly little sh** that no-one can ever seem to pin down for very long. What better way to spend this week's Nerd Church than to share a few of my bookish tips for chasing down the little b*****d when it's got away from you (I have a lot of practice at this - depression is the clingy b**ch that scares happiness away every time you tempt it back.) So, with that string of possibly unnecessary, and partially censored, swearing over with...

1. Creative books

Adult colouring has recently become a big thing. And then there are the creative books which I personally prefer - the books like Wreck This Journal which provide a place to just be creative, have fun, and maybe destroy some stuff. What both adult colouring and the other creative stuff have in common is the ability to allow us to work some stuff out - while we don't even realise it. Creative therapy is used a lot to treat kids with mental health problems, and/or who have suffered trauma, why not for adults too? Sometimes we can put stuff on paper that we can't say out loud.

There are some other creative-type books you could try too: an old-fashioned sketchbook, notebook, or journal, to just shove whatever ever is in you out onto a page; sticker books (if adults can colour then goddamn it, I don't see why there shouldn't also be stickers involved;) or activity books for kids. Don't let the target age fool you when it comes to kids activity books, I have an Avengers activity book that I absolutely adore (actually it's a design, inspire, create sketchbook - or something similar - apparently.) There's no shame in expressing yourselves guys, just let it happen. And have fun!

2. Read what you love

Never be afraid to read what you love. If your little heart desires chick-lit (or, as I call it, ditzy books,) then read them. If you're a sci-fi fan, a comic book nerd (guilty as charged!) a fan of literary fiction, or YA, or whatever - just read it.

There is no shame in reading whatever you like - whether that's the infamous 50 Shades of Grey, the equally infamous Twilight, or a biology textbook detailing the breakdown of enzymes in the gut (check me out with my A in GCSE Biology - I still remember the big words and everything,) if you enjoy it, and it's going to help you chase that little sh** happiness down and trap it, then read it.

You might find that reading about the stuff characters are dealing with helps you with your own problems, or helps you to forget your own problems, or just plain entertains you. It's all good, lovely people, it's all good.

3. Libraries and book-shops

For the truly bookish, there is nothing quite so calming/exciting as a walk through a book shop or library. I recommend the library if you're skint, like me. Just stroll along the aisles and look at all the pretty covers - hello pretty covers! Hello worlds within pages! See? Don't you feel better already? Maybe pick up a few, maybe sit down and bask a bit if there's enough comfortable seating. And the world is just that little bit lighter.

4. Get visual

The human brain is a weird and wonderful thing - and it responds remarkably to visual stimulus (i.e. pictures,) so go get some pretty stuff to look at! Obviously, the brighter the better, but if you feel like looking at some dark and broody stuff, then that's good too - just watch that it doesn't make you feel worse.

'But how is this bookish?' I imagine you crying. Well, that's because the best place to get hold of images is accompanied by some form of text ;) - I'm talking magazines, graphic novels, comic books. And there are so many subjects covered by these things that you're bound to find something that interests you. Just the act of flicking through a magazine gives you a little bit of the 'me-time,' that you most definitely deserve.

5. Fangirl/boy it up

Obsession, where would we be without you? But if you join the fandom of your favourite book (or film or whatever) then you can find yourself a little slice of giddy happiness (along with so many tears and feelings - please fangirl or fanboy responsibly, and try not to get yourself slapped with a restraining order.)

Yes, the world of Gifs, memes, fanart, fan comics, and fan fiction awaits you - along with merchandise and cyber-stalking. It's the chance we've all been waiting for - to be part of an equally obsessed online community who are just as twisted and weird as we are. Plus, you can help weave the strands of modern mythology together by reading and writing fanfiction - maybe even about problems you can relate too. If you need recs for fanfiction, feel free to prance over my Friday Fics Fix series (I'll tag this post,) and yes, I used the word prance. And I regret nothing.

Reviewing the Evidence Again! - The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveny

Title: The Book of Madness and Cures (US Link)
Author: Regina O'Melveny
Genre: Historical fiction

A few starting notes:

This was a random pick-up from last library haul. I had absolutely no idea what it'd be like, but the cover was pretty cool, and it caught my eye.

Premise:

Gabriella Mondini is a female doctor in sixteenth century Venice. Life is never going to be easy for her.

Her father has been away for many, many, years, working on gathering information for his Book of Diseases - the work which will be his masterpiece. Ten years he has been gone; but his last letter worries Gabi, and she embarks on a journey to bring him home.

Best bits:

The prose has moments of true eloquence - a by-product, probably, of the author's background as a poet. Certainly, the imagery is truly beautiful - particularly the evocations of the hot and dusty Arabian desert. The enthusiasm of the author also seeps its way through the writing - it's always nice when the writer has a true passion to share in their work.

Fans of historical fiction will doubtless revel in the setting, which takes in much of the sixteenth century world as Gabriella travels through Europe and Arabia in search of her father.

Strangely, the strongest character is that of Gabriella's father - who, truly, we only see through letters and remembrances, rumours, and half-glimpses. Yet the character is so strong that you feel him, permeating through the pages.

Not so great bits:

The plot seemed to lack just a bit of direction - meandering with Gabriella, who seems equally lost - and that is just a tad annoying.

There's also a fair few distressing scenes here - not least that involving dissection. There's also a lot to do with mental health here - and most of it not positive. Chaining up of the 'mad' was not uncommon throughout history, and some readers may find it difficult to stomach.

Verdict:

A very readable book with some great prose and some interesting ideas. If you enjoy this and/or you're interested in reading about historical Venice (and have the stomach for it) I do recommend The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric.

Friday Fics Fix! - In Which the Avengers are Exposed to Crack (Not the Drug)

A couple of funny Avengers fics for you this week my lovely people. This is what is commonly referred to as crack fic (as in, 'What the hell? How did you think of that? You must've been on crack when you thought that up!') although sometimes it's just referred to as humour (for example, by site admins, who rarely use the demented slang that fangirls/boys come up with.) Enjoy the randomness.

Captain America Popsicles by TheMajesticLoki - this is where Tony finds out that they sell Captain America Popsicles (which I think are ice lollies... why must America rename everything?) or, as Tony likes to call them, Capsicles. This is worth the read just for the off-colour adult humour (no under-18s, don't do drugs, stay in school, etc....)

Baby diapers and Captain America dolls by HazelRose555 - this is domestic-bliss Superhusbands/Stony (in which Tony Stark and Captain America are together in a very romantic capacity) with a little Clintasha (Hawkeye and Black Widow) thrown in on the side. There's the usual mix of spelling and grammar issues here, but the sheer randomness (and Steve Rogers' whining) makes this worth the while.

Comics Wrap-Up - Grit, a God Killer, and Logan's Son

My reading this week, as far as my beloved comics and graphic novels are concerned, has been heavily verging on the gritty.

Bloodhound #1 from the publisher Dark Horse (which is, as far as I'm concerned, and quite aptly, the dark horse of comic book publishing,) is a rough-tough and bloody issue. It's set in a prison. And things get rougher from there really. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it, it's well-drawn, the dialogue is tight, and the cover is like a beautiful piece of pop-art that I would willingly hang on a wall.

Thor: God of Thunder #1 deals with the prospect of a serial killer whose victims are gods. It's interesting - and the artwork is beautiful. Honestly, the depictions of Thor on the inside are far better than the (albeit decent,) cover. His hair looks like gold-dust. It's amazing. My only issue (ha, issue,) with the series moving forward is the potential for everything to end up in that confusing, time-travel, time-line, time-is-messed-up trap. Stories dealing with such a large span of time need to be plotted so tightly that I always get a little concerned. The first issue though, is great.

As far as graphic novels go, they don't come much grittier than the Dark Wolverine series. Please, don't make the obvious mistake. Dark Wolverine is not Wolverine. No, the main character here is Daken, Wolverine's troubled son. Daken is a seriously under-appreciated character, adding moral ambiguity, and diversity both in terms of ethnicity (he is half-Japanese, and the word 'Daken' is a slur term meaning 'mongrel,' or 'b*****d dog,') and sexuality (Daken is bisexual,) to the Marvel pantheon. Daken however, is most definitely not his father. He's not a hero - he's an anti-hero; a killer, and possibly a psychopath. But that's part of what makes him so interesting. He has all of Wolverine's broken nature, with little of the light to guide him on his way; he is cruel, merciless, and you still end up on his side.

What my main criticism of Dark Wolverine, Vol 2: My Hero, (US Link,) would be that there is unnecessary levels of faffing about in bras-and-panties. Yes, that curse of 'mature' graphic novels - i.e. the immature need to stick skimpy clothing and boobs in everyone's face, is present here. To me, this is lazy. The rest of the graphic novel is excellent; and, honestly, I don't mind women being objects of sexual desire in some circumstances - for example, when it serves a purpose for the story, or when it's making a point, or when it's done subtly and artfully - but this just tips over into boys drawing boobs for the sake of it to me. It was unnecessary - and that's what annoys me. Granted, we also get some very nice panels of Daken half-clothed, but at least there seems to be some reason behind this - for example, it's hard to keep your clothes in one piece when you've just been beaten up - rather than, 'we need to fill these panels with something - ooh! Soft porn!" Sorry if this seems a bit rant-y, but to me this detracted from the book. But I still love this book, and the Dark Wolverine series as a whole. It's excellent, if probably a bit gory, violent, and sexy, for some tastes.

Nerd Church! - 5 Things Characters Do That You Shouldn't

Characters can be awesome inspirations - leading the way through the dark into the light. But they're flawed - and while we love them for it, there's some things they do which you just shouldn't.

1. He wants to kill me? How sexy!

If a dude admits that he is actually fantasising, or having serious thoughts about killing you, you get the hell away from him. No excuses. No 'Oh he's so troubled, he needs me,'  (Nancy in Oliver Twist had that attitude, and look how that turned out,) and no offering yourself up like a sacrificial virgin a la Bella Swan.

You leave him, and possibly consider a restraining order. That way your ass stays alive and you don't have to survive on blood smoothies for all of eternity. And if a dude ever physically hurts you, you up and leave. I mean it - you get out of there: go to a shelter, a friend's, a family member's, a hotel - just leave. Obviously, this also applies to gender reversal, same-sex couples, and any other relationship under the sun. If your partner is abusive, you leave. Your safety comes first guys, and unfortunately there are a lot of YA heroines (in particular,) that you really shouldn't look up to when it comes to healthy relationships.

2. I did the thing

Sometimes there is a reason why people are telling you not to do the thing. Fans of Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle will know my pain; I love you, Eragon, but you were told - repeatedly - that you shouldn't do whatever it is that you just did. That is essentially four big books worth of cleaning up your sh**. The lesson here is that doing the thing is not always a good plan.

That's not to say that none of your ideas are any good - a lot of them sure as hell will be! But you need to take advice into consideration, think about the consequences, and weigh up the pros and cons. Then, if you still want to do the thing, do it - but at least you'll have thought it through and not made a decision based on poor information, heat of the moment emotion, and plain stupidity.

3. What we have here is a failure to communicate

So many characters are guilty of this that it actually hurts (Shakespeare, anyone?) Honestly, the amount of crossed-wires leading to tragic results is painful. Talk to each other. Before I bash your freaking heads in. Explain things. And do try not to keep secrets, especially if it's something that effects the person you're keeping it from.

4. I'll let someone else fix it

This is something that adults in YA novels are the most guilty of. There's a war against (delete as appropriate:) evil wizards/demons/the government/another nation? Get some teenagers to deal with it! Like dude, really?!?!

This reminds me of the original (Mighty Morphin') Power Rangers series (which I'm old enough to remember the first time round - albeit I was very, very, small at the time,) where Zordon's response to an evil alien chick trying to take over the world is to assemble a team of 'teenagers... with attitude!' It sounds about as impressive as you think it would.

Dumbledore is very much of the Zordon school of saving the world. Evil army? Deadly mission? I'll get this emotionally unstable teenage boy to do it!


5. Jumping to conclusions

This is not dissimilar to some of my other points. If you leap in willie-nillie then you're going to make mistakes (Eragon, Harry Potter, I'm lookin' at you!) Jumping to conclusions might mean you end up getting someone hurt or worse. And, if you're a book character, you jump to conclusions a lot. You don't trust people you should trust, and trust people you shouldn't, all while your poor, long-suffering, reader is screaming "No! You dipstick!!!!" You've done this, you know you have.

A lot of the jumping to conclusions in books tends to avoid trust in some capacity - and, let's face it, it's not easy sometimes to figure out who's on your side. My advice? Slow down, think things through. At the very least you're less likely to make a horrendous mistake, and that has to be a good thing.

Sherlock trailer!

...And, in case you haven't seen it, and because I love you all, here is the trailer for the Victorian special of BBC's Sherlock...

Friday Fics Fix! (In Which There is Much Loki)

Sometimes you need much Loki. Maybe it's just me, but, judging by the amount of fics out there, I'd say not. So, this week, for Friday Fics Fix, there is much Loki. More specifically, there are three Loki-centric drabbles/ficlets (these are ultra-short one part fics which usually have less than 1000 words, sometimes less than 500. They comprise a scene, monologue, musing, conversation, or snapshot, and are great for a quick fix of the characters you love.)

LOKI: Fear by TheNativeAce - I would say this is 18 + because of what it infers (which, as we all know, is often worse that what's actually depicted) this is a Loki & Thanos drabble with Captain America in pain to boot. There are many feels (intense fangirl feelings that provoke bizarre noises.)

Loki and the Toy Store by Lokiismylife - this is sweet and sort of FrostIron (which, all together now, is: where Tony Stark and Loki have a little romantic something going on,) and is quite funny. For when you need a quick mood lightener.

Of Fanfiction vs Reality by EllyZeller - this is what I like to refer to as Fic-ception. The characters read fanfiction and start to get ideas... This is definitely FrostIron, but isn't too explicit (for once!)

Happy reading :)

Comics Wrap-Up

This is the wrap-up of my week in comics (because comics and graphic novels deserve more recognition than they get):


This week in my comic-reading habit (and yes, it's pretty much as bad as my novel-reading habit,) I've been reading horror comics from indie producer Double Take via Comixology - these comics are based around an event that turns the dead into zombies/ghouls. I have to say that the most disturbing was Home 1: Lighter Than Air, due to the demented swearing child that no-one seems to think is weird. The covers of these are really stand-out, and (despite the obvious sexism) I can't deny that the cover to Rise 1: Sister's Keeper, from an artistic point of view, is stunning.

In terms of the big boys (which, to the terminally uninformed are, obviously, Marvel and DC,) I read Hulk #1 (I know, there are a million Hulk #1's by now) of Marvel's Marvel Now! releases, subtitled 'Who Shot Bruce Banner?' this is the first issue in the Bruce Banner DOA storyline. And it was freaking awesome. It is woefully easy for Hulk comics to slip into caricature, parody, and needless complex messes, but this avoids that and stays instead to measured story, affecting art, and emotional heart. And look at the cover! That, my dearest readers, is how you make an excellent and effective Hulk cover.

The Writer Diaries (or How to Destroy a Blank Page)

I'm going to be honest. I'm usually honest. I don't lie to you nice people. Particularly not when you take the trouble to read my blog-posts. Anyway, back on-topic; I'm going to be honest - as a writer, I have absolutely no freaking idea where I'm headed. But I need to ignore that. I need to ignore the deep and painful bite of uncertainty, and concentrate on the words.

But, how do you do that? Well, do what works for you guys - honestly - anything to destroy that blank page. But what I find is that writing prompts give you something to write (and it's ok if it goes completely off-topic and/or is crap, and/or batsh** crazy.) And that keeps your imaginination (ok spelling police - imagination,) going and stops all of the words that are inside you from rotting you out from the inside :) (Never underestimate the power of the smiley face.)

Some people like to work on word quotas, page quotas, or time quotas. I'm a time quota kind of girl myself - never worry about how much you're writing, just take at least 10 minutes a day to write it.

I also personally like to keep a list of prompts, and cross off as I complete. If you don't want to do a prompt, and you find yourself consistently ignoring or avoiding it, scribble it out, and move on to another one. There are zillions of prompts out there, so there's no need to get hung up on one that clearly isn't working for you.

Writing prompt websites and generators range from the awesome to the crap to the preachy (I seriously dislike the preachy - writing is something you should not be guilted into unless it's by a meme of Tom Hiddleston/Loki - just type 'you should be writing Loki' into Google images and you'll see what I mean.)

I find the following sites generally useful when searching for prompts:

Writing Exercises - there are loads of generators here, including dialogue, scenario, and title. Occasionally this tosses you a prompt that's pretty lame. But overall, these are usable and creative and will make you think of different things (and allow you to kill the blasted blank page! Mwaha! :P )

The Pantomime Pony Writer's Den - also has a bunch of random generators (see the links on the side of the page) which have a variety of subjects to get the creative juices flowing. I find that some of their prompts are pretty darn random (which can be fun!) and can also be so long that you can sometimes split them into two prompts (BOGOF anyone? Haha. Sorry, I'm now wondering what was in that chocolate bar I had at lunch.)

Chaotic Shiny generates multiple prompts at a time. Use the drop-down to pick the number of prompts, then click Write! The prompts have variations on time and word count criteria, but don't feel too constrained - use as desired.

Tumblr and Pinterest also have dozens (and probably hundreds or even thousands) of users who provide a constant stream of writing prompts - these are pretty easy to find if you use the search box.

Happy writing (and reading, of course!)

Time to Review the Evidence (Classics Edition!) - Dracula by Bram Stoker

Title: Dracula (US Link)
Author: Bram Stoker
Genre: Classics, Horror, Paranormal, Vampire

A few starting notes:

I've read 'Dracula' several times now - it really is the godfather of vampire fiction. What Mr Stoker would have thought of Twilight et al is anybody's guess, but this was considered terrifying and risqué when it was first published.

Premise:

Jonathan Harker (one of the most under-appreciated characters in literary history, in my humble opinion,) a young solicitor's clerk, is engaged in work that takes him to Transylvania and one Count Dracula. He soon finds that things are not as they first appear.

Back home in Britain, Jonathan's fiancée, Mina Murray, is planning a break in Whitby with her friend, Lucy Westenra. Soon, Mina is worried about Lucy's health - what could be causing her illness?

Meanwhile, Lucy's jilted lover, Dr John Seward, continues his work at the lunatic asylum. His patient, Renfield, is acting very strangely...

Best bits:

This still has the power to draw you in to its atmospheric Gothicism and delectable prose. Perhaps we now consider it less frightening than our Victorian forebears did, but then, we have been de-sensitised by shocking films, books, TV shows, and video games. It's a wonder that anything frightens us, really.

The characters (with some notable exceptions) are vivid and intriguing. I personally favour Jonathan Harker - a man who fights his way through the darkest of situations.

The epistolary (look at me with my shiny literary terms - that means it's written in letters, diaries, etc.) form is used fantastically to highlight portions of plot with pin-prick precision, and to document the passing of time without getting in too much of an ever-loving muddle.

Not so great bits:

OK, don't yell at me, but I can't stand Lucy Westenra. She, to me, is the most awful stereotype. She is contradictorily pure and tainted at the same time - a symbol of Victorian sexual politics if ever there was one. She faffs about like a wet rag for most of her screen-time (I know there's no screen, but you know what I mean.)

The casual sexism is what bothers me the most about this book. The urge to scream at statements about thanking God for brave men is quite high. Unfortunately, I think this is largely a by-product of the time in which it was written.

Some may find it a very slow read - Victorian English, and not exactly short - but please don't let it put you off.

Verdict:

This is, and ever will remain, a classic. The book that popularised the vampire still has the power to entrance, absorb, and delight.

Nerd Church! - A Little Retail Therapy

Sometimes, you need window shopping - or, in this post-digital age, windows shopping. I'm a nerd. We have established this. We shall move on.

church image courtesy of debspoons at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I found The Literary Gift Company when faffing through the intricacies of the interwebs - and I like their style. I particularly like the Banned Books Bracelet. I am sooo tempted!!! If only I had more moneys (drat!)

But Cee! You're all thinking. This is Nerd Church! It's supposed to be stuffed full of moral sh** that you've dug from the pages and slapped into a blog post. Ah yes, erstwhile blog-hopper, but every religion and marketing company in the world will tell you that symbols are powerful things - and so jewellery and gifts with a literary theme are a fantastic way to spread the bookish message(s.) And maybe start to think about Xmas shopping for your fellow book nerds... or just windows shop, because sometimes you need it. Retail therapy is a powerful thing, even if you don't have the money to treat yourself.

Friday Fics Fix! (In Which We All Pretend We're Not Crying For Bucky Bear)

I have but one humble (or maybe not so humble, who knows?) fic for you this week. That fic is

 

Kindness, What is Kindness? by lovinthor

 

 

This actually doesn't include sex or even romance or heavy petting (I know! In a fanfiction?! How did this happen?) Instead, what we have here is something which will tear your heart out, take a big juicy bite, and then show it to you :) (See, it's sentences like that which convince me I'm now officially a fangirl - as if there was any doubt.)

 

I think that Bucky ("Who's Bucky?" - sorry, Marvel girl humour there,) is the cause of more feels (to the non-fandom initiated, these are intense, indescribable feelings that take you over completely) per Marvel fangirl than almost any other character (save maybe Loki... (sigh.)) Because... well... Bucky Bear! (This is where we, as fangirls, establish that Bucky Barnes is adorable in a way reminiscent of a teddy bear, or adorable when with a teddy bear, or adorable as a teddy bear.) This originates from Baby Avengers, in which Steve (Captain America,) carries a teddy bear named Bucky. Ahhh, I love it when canon (the official book, series, comic, whatever,) comes up with something that even a fangirl would've been scared to start (...depending on which fangirl.)

 

So, back to the fic at hand. Kindness, What is Kindness? is a heart-breaking dose of the feels featuring none other than Bucky Barnes (contains Captain America: Winter Soldier spoilers.) It's lovely, it's well-written (save the odd bit of grammatical gremlin-ness,) and you need  to read this if you've ever looked at Bucky Barnes and felt the urge to make it all better! (Yes, every Marvel girl in existence, I'm talking to you.) Enjoy :)