#Silver And Katherine

[rastronomicals]

3:55 PM EST December 2, 2023:

Half Japanese - "Silver And Katherine" From the album Greatest Hits (March 13, 1995)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

Ha!!!

[dailaz]

Spider in love. Version 2

Fanfic: The Amazing Spider-man: True purpose

By:Secret Agent Man Jp

Artist of some portraits: Scott Campbell

Edit: Dailaz

[spring-dust-sillythoughts]

I think is funny how everyone ships Jim Hawkins with everyone, other movie characters, ocs, self-inserts BUT his canon love interest lmao (no shame to yall tho)

[aureitygonoph]

finally drew the silver swing costume... had to do the silver howard pony of course

[thewiddershinsme]

Finished Uprooted by Naomi Novak. I first picked this book up around when it came out because of the great reviews. All I remember is I didn't like it at all.

Fast forward to now, when I hear some great things about Spinning Silver. Specifically, that people tend to love either Uprooted or Spinning Silver, and not really the other. So I'm about to get Spinning Silver, when the cover of Uprooted catches my eye. I know these are both technically standalones, but look at those covers, they scream companion books to me. And because I am someone that CAN'T read books out of order, I found myself unable to start Spinning Silver without grabbing Uprooted again.

Cause the thing was, I couldn't remember anything that happened in that book other than the main premise of wizard takes girl into tower every decade. And as I was reading I realized I must've DNF'd it, cause there came a point I had absolutely no clue what was gonna happen next and nothing felt familiar. And you know what? I overall really enjoyed it. It's continuing a trend where I am retracing some previous books I didn't necessarily like the first time around, but due to so much change and personal growth over the past few years, am finding new appreciation for (such as The Bear and the Nightingale, was meh the first time I read it, but re-read it recently and adored the entire series).

Anyway, the Wood. Absolutely fantastic element. Seriously freaked me out. Can't wait to start Spinning Silver next.

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

October: Silver Redux

Late Night / Emma Thompson as Katherine Newbury

Just as costumers seem to like gold dresses for coronations, they also seem to like silver dresses for awards ceremonies (see also Marry Me). This tasteful gown appears in a short sequence at the beginning of the movie in which Katherine accepts an award. Costume designer Mitchell Travers said of this dress, "I wanted to present a woman who feels a bit armored. It’s got a bit of a knight-in-armor feeling about it. You have to steel yourself before facing that much scrutiny."

There isn't a waist-length back view of the dress, but given how the sleeves drape from the side and how they both move in unison when she lifts her elbows, it looks like they may be connected at the back for a sort of capelike effect.

[rosies-riveters]

[aliteraryprincess]

Celebratory Book Haul!

Since my dissertation prospectus is finished and turned in, I treated myself to $50 worth of books. Husband isn't happy with me. But I am!😆

Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis

Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis

The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis

The Professor Is In by Karen Kelsky

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis

[wouldtheyfuck]

[rastronomicals]

12:44 AM EDT October 3, 2023:

Half Japanese - "Silver And Katherine" From the album Greatest Hits (March 13, 1995)

Last song scrobbled from iTunes at Last.fm

Great band and everything, but I'm calling bullshit on the album title

[cultivating-wildflowers]

Books of 2024 - December and Wrap-Up

In contrast to November, I did get to both of my planned nonfic reads. I also ended up rereading a bunch of books I've been wanting to revisit; only one turned out to not hold up on a reread. And only one book this month was strictly audio; I really enjoyed taking it slowly with printed books as the nights grew longer. All in all, a lovely, cozy wrap-up to reading in 2024.

Fun fact: This is the first time in four years where I didn't read a C.S. Lewis book in December. (In 2022 and 2023, C.S. Lewis was my last read of the year.)

Total books: 10  |  New reads: 4   |  2024 TBR completed: 1 (0 DNF) / 36/36 total   |   2024 Reading Goal: 92/100

November | January 2025

potential reads

#1 - The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty - 4/5 stars (reread, audio)

This is one of those books I read several years ago, remember liking, and wanted to revisit. The first time I read it, I distinctly remember enjoying it--the writing style and world especially--but there were aspects of the plot that left me unmotivated to continue the trilogy immediately.

And then, just recently, I started seeing this series mentioned all over the place, so I decided to reread The City of Brass and see about finally continuing the series.

Upon completion, I find myself massively conflicted. Like.... What is the plot? What exactly is going on here? And why is it taking forever to get where it's going? My initial review called the writing "exhaustingly intense" which...I mean, yeah, if Past Me couldn't find a clearer way to say "I have no idea what's going on here and I'm feeling a little stupid about that, because I think something is going on?", sure. "Intense" works, I guess.

In fact, I'm so confused by this book that I'm breaking my own rule of never changing my initial rating of a book unless it's to give it a higher rating; with City of Brass, I deducted a star.

I love the world Chakraborty created. That's my favorite part. The writing style remains vivid and largely immersive (though sometimes the language shifts and I'm yanked out of the story), but it's so dense. It feels like The Final Empire all over again. (Another book I'd probably detract points from if I ever read it again.) I didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters except, oddly, Muntadhir and Zaynab. Nahri kind of just let the plot happen to her. Ali was equal parts compelling and confusing. Dara is...Dara. And then there's whatever is going on with the politics.

I still have no idea what's going on with the politics.

Honestly, it feels like too much. I wanted to like it, but by about the 60% mark I was so bored, and kind of irritated, and just ready for it to be over. I think I can see why people like this story and it looks like it gets better in the second book, but I don’t have the patience for it.

More books featuring the elements I DID enjoy from "City of Brass": The historical fantasy angle and Nahri and Dara's early dynamic reminded me of the Winternight trilogy, and something about Ali's arc reminded me, for some reason, of "The Goblin Emperor". Note that this is all based on, like, the first quarter of the book.

#2 - The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff - 5/5 stars (reread)

The Lantern Bearers is the book in this series that everyone talks about, and I've always intended to read it, and I know you don't have to read this series in order to enjoy each entry, but I like reading a series in order. I had intended to get to this one next year; however, someone recently shared some fanart of Cottia and a bunch of my mutuals were passing it around the dash, and I had to start my reread early. So here we are, with me revisiting The Eagle in preparation for diving into the rest of the series.

First of all: I remember almost nothing about this book! There were a few vague images and impressions in my head, and some of the details came back to me as I read, but it was almost like reading a completely new book. I definitely enjoyed this just as much as, if not more than, the first time around. Marcus is a fantastic POV character, sympathetic, compelling, and charming, and the supporting cast are all colorful and delightful. Sutcliff's ability to transport readers into 2nd century AD Britain, across all of its landscapes and in all of its varying cultures, is breathtaking.

And then Sutcliff caught me by the throat in the last chapter and laid me out in a wreck on the floor. I had a great time.

This will be going on my regular rotation of books to revisit. I probably won't get to the rest of the series until next year, though.

More like this: It feels soooo much like "The Blue Sword" to me. I'm not positive why. And the setting naturally reminded me of Lawhead's Pendragon trilogy.

#3 - Irena's Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto by Tilar J. Mazzeo - 4/5 stars ('24 TBR)

The last of my official reading list for the year! This book has been on my TBR for years and I'm so glad I finally got to it.

In Irena's Children, Mazzeo explores not just Irena’s story, but that of her network of wartime co-conspirators and resistance fighters; and of Warsaw and Poland at large, in all of its intricacies and terror. That alone makes it worth the read.

As far as the writing itself is concerned, Mazzeo relays events in very short “scenes”, the majority of them ending on some grim or dramatic note suggesting future trouble for Irena and her friends; and yet the story (especially around the middle of the book) regularly gets waylaid by repetitive descriptions that time and again remind us how terrible and dangerous everything is. The writing also feels a bit scattered or choppy at times, making it difficult to follow the details of some events as they unfold.

It feels awful to judge a book with such a heartbreaking, breathtaking story as anything but perfect; and it was clearly well-researched and written with passion. I would definitely recommend it.

#4 - Q's Legacy: A Delightful Account of a Lifelong Love Affair with Books by Helene Hanff - 5/5 stars

Yes, yes, I chose to read this one now because it's a "Q" title, and probably the smallest "Q" titled volume on my TBR. In my defense, it has been on my TBR since I read 84, Charing Cross Road nearly two years ago.

That aside, I adored this one nearly as much as 84. Hanff's way with words is stunning. It's so gentle and unassuming and vivid and breathtaking. I teared up at several parts. And, like Helene with Q, I ended my reading with the urge to go out and buy all of the works mentioned here. Which, to me, is some of the best kind of writing.

#5 - The Winter Prince by Elizabeth Wein - 4/5 stars

Another book that came to me by ways I can't recall. I'm confident I learned about it on tumblr, but I have no idea from whom.

Thoroughly engrossing, with an easy, immersive style and compelling characters (plus a setting I always go ham for). And then it got a bit dark, a bit weird, and I ended it with a very befuddled, "Huh??"

I’m waffling in continuing the series because I don’t trust Wein not to hurt me lol.

#6 - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner - 5/5 stars (reread)

I haven’t read this book in three years. I still love it.

#7 - The Girl and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden - 5/5 stars (reread)

It was at this point that I said, "Hey, I could get to 90 books this year with just a little effort, and also I'm home all week...." So I snatched up an appropriately wintry book I've been wanting to reread, and here we are.

It’s a testament to Arden’s writing that this book has so many elements I typically hate reading about, and yet it has stayed with me since I first read it seven years ago. And it’s just as solid on a reread: the setting, the characters, the fairytale depth of it. Gorgeous.

More like this: The Vibes are similar to "Spinning Silver", though the styles themselves vary.

#8 - Stand Still, Stay Silent: Book 1 by Minna Sundberg - 5/5 stars (reread)

I have finally returned to this series to read through it for the first time! (I only got about halfway through the webcomic.) And it’s even better than I remember. This is a perfect introduction to the world and characters, with STUNNING artwork. I love it so much.

#9 - A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner - 5/5 stars (reread, mixed print and audio)

Sophos my belovéd. I am drawing hearts all over this book.

(Also hi hello turns out the last time I read this, in August 2021, was also the first time I read The Eagle of the Ninth, which is fun. Also fun is the fact that the first time I read The Thief, I was entirely neutral about it, and it took me coming back to it years later with tumblr's help to fall in love. As with The Eagle.)

#10 - The Silver Branch by Rosemary Sutcliff - 4/5 stars (mixed print and audio)

Aunt Honoria 🫶

I’m learning that Sutcliff’s writing is best enjoyed read, rather than listened to; or else the narrators so far haven’t done her work justice. I listened to portions all the same while working. Not quite as compelling to me as The Eagle, but I LOVED Justin and Flavius’s dynamic so so much, and I’m always one for a ragtag band of heroes coming together.

The question now is whether I proceed with the series from here in publication or chronological order....

Similar characters: Evicatos's background is very similar to that of Ed from Digger, so naturally I love him; and Cullen reminded me strongly of Randal from The Perilous Gard.

Honorable Mentions:

I completed another Bible read-through this year! It was all audio again, so definitely not counting it toward my reading.

DNF:

Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot - While I agree with Elliot's thesis (if perhaps not some of the finer details) I found her arguments vaguely frustrating. I managed to get about 40% of the way through this before she once again got to the cusp of a conclusion and then skipped right on to the next point. I think Elliot's aim was to lay out every aspect of her overall argument and then bring it together in the end, but it felt so scattered that she lost me.

The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty - Got nearly 10% in and still couldn't be bothered to care about any of these characters. And, purely personal, but the five-year time jump was a bit odd. I am willing to be convinced to give this another chance, however, especially because it has a higher average rating than the first book, and the third book has the highest rating of all.

All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor (reread) - I took forever to get to this, and then it was due back at the library and I had lost interest. Yes, there's a clock ticking down to system-wide destruction. Yes, there's a bunch of emotional investments to...invest in...if you can keep track of the characters involved. But there's so many little pieces moving all over the place--or perhaps it's that the scope is simply too grand, too broad--that the impact is gone. It felt like such a drag, and I had no enthusiasm for it.

For the series overall (at least the original trilogy): I had a decent time revisiting it, but it's not going on my shelf.

Star Nomad by Lindsay Buroker - I picked up this book a couple of years ago because I loved the concept (war veteran abandoned on a dusty old planet just trying to get home to her daughter; Firefly vibes with her crew) but the writing was not it. Also I happened to glance at the content warnings and saw “graphic rape” so…. After years of it sitting on my shelf, I have to pass.

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill - Barnhill is a very hit-or-miss author for me. This one was a miss. (If I’m being petty, I gave up when a passage made me say “That is NOT how you shear sheep” out loud.)

2024 Reading Wrap-Up!

Off the bat, I think my personal best accomplishment in 2024 is that I read more. Not necessarily more books, but I managed to actually make myself sit down and physically read more than I did last year. Audiobooks, as always, got me through many an hour of cleaning at my second job, many an hour of driving and household work and winding down at night, but in the earlier part of 2024 I was starting to feel like my ability to focus on the page was suffering. Now I'm a little less worried.

My goals for reading in 2024 included:

Read 100 books - lol that was optimistic of me. I got off to a slow start right at the beginning of the year and never quite caught up. Ironically, that was because way back in February I said I only wanted to read physical books, no audiobooks, for a month and I failed splendidly. How times change. However, I marked off a lot of books this year, especially if we count my massive DNF list, and I read some larger books, and I found several new favorites, so I'm content.

Get to some of the older residents of my TBR - I did this! I still have a decent backlog of old TBR books I plan to dig into in 2025, but I cleared out a chunk this year and I'm so proud of myself. (See above about the sheer number of DNFs; I have a feeling 2025 will go the same way, but it still counts.) (And side note: I saw someone online refer to the books on her longstanding as her "TBR veterans" and I love that description.)

More nonfiction! - I did SO well with this one, too! I set up my reading plan for the year with two nonfics per month--one firm TBR, one a more casual want-to-read. Throughout the year, I confirmed I am as picky with nonfic as with fiction (I prefer narrative nonfic, or the almost investigative style that comes with journalists writing longer stuff). Even with my pickiness in mind, I managed to discover several fascinating stories; and I feel a bit smarter....

General Stats:

Total Books Read: 92 (90 last year)

Rereads: 28 (30 last year)

New Authors: 31 (31 last year)

Audiobooks*: 54 (62 last year)

Nonfiction: 15 (9 last year)

DNF: 47 (a definite record for me; only 14 DNF'd last year)

Alphabet Book Titles: 26 out of 26!

Pages Read**: 13,059 (significantly higher than last year)

Hours Listened**: 501 (lower than last year)

*including books where I read part in audio and part in print form

** estimate, including whatever I read of each book I DNF'd

2024 TBR:

Read: 22

DNF: 14

2024 TBR completed in December!

My Top Five Anticipated 2024 Reads:

Agent Garbo by Stephan Talty - 5/5 stars

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - DNF @ 15%

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein - 4/5 stars

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach - 4/5 stars

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher - 5/5 stars

Top Five New Reads of 2024*:

Agent Garbo by Stephan Talty

Are Women Human? by Dorothy L. Sayers

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown - favorite book of the year! shout-out to the tumblr circle for peer-pressuring me into this one.

The Food Explorer by Daniel Stone

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

*can we please admire how only one of these is fiction? turning 30 did something to me.

2025 Reading Plans:

I'm aiming to keep it simple this year (ha). Instead of self-inflicted pressure to read a certain number of books, I want to:

Brave some of the huge books on my shelves and give them the time they deserve. (The average page count for the 24 books on my 2025 TBR is over 450. The average page count for the books I read in 2024 is around 300.)

Explore some new styles (like poetry and essays) and subjects (more nonfic!).

Mark off some classics that have been on my list for ages.

Dig into the backlists of some of my favorite authors.

All of this involves tackling my longstanding TBR. I was already building my 2025 TBR back in May, and the list included a bunch of the books I've had on my list for over five years. Several of these are marked as books I probably won't enjoy but can't bring myself to not at least give a chance. Hopefully I'll find a few gems in there! (Can I get my digital TBR down below 300? Unlikely--but! We shall see! It used to be over 500 and with some reading and a lot of weeding I've already thinned it out.)

Naturally, I am armed with lists! My actual list of must-get-to books in 2025 is very short, and largely comprised of familiar authors; then I built a second, much longer list, with books to choose from with less pressure. That list has the above assortment of classics, tomes, poetry, nonfiction, and iffy TBR residents I'll likely DNF.

And if I really can't decide what I want to read, I set up one of those online spinny picker wheels to choose for me! (Featuring only TBR books I own or have confirmed I can get from the library.)

Top Five Anticipated Reads of 2025

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

John Adams by David McCullough

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Sorcery and Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede

[six-costume-refs]

There have been a bunch of emergency covers on the west end lately, but I lost track after the second one. Do you have a recap of the recent emergency covers + their costume? Thanks 😊

Hello! Yes I do!

Chlöe Hart wore her own Aragon costume and wig.

Harriet Caplan-Dean wore her own silver alt costume (and variations) for Aragon and Parr. Her own hair was used for both roles: for Aragon left down and curled in soft waves, for Parr pulled back into a ponytail similar to Roxanne Couch's.

Leesa Tulley originally wore a band costume with a dark Howard wig for her first emergency cover. I talked about that here and here.

Leesa then came back and did shows as Boleyn, Seymour (in orange alt), and Howard. Those were all her own costumes. For Boleyn she wore her Seymour wig (straightened), Seymour was her usual Seymour wig (curled), and Howard she wore her normal pink wig.

There were a few changes to wig and style:

For Tour Harriet had an Aragon bob, which she didn’t use on the West End. It seems to be in use by Shakira Simpson, which would explain why they didn’t have access to it. Instead she had some soft waves styled by Zoe Louise. (I talked more about her prior wigs here)

Leesa initially wore a dark Howard alt wig before getting her normal pink wig later on.

Leesa had a bob for Boleyn on Tour but instead they used her Seymour wig. Not sure why on that one, may have had damage, not been accessible in time for her debut, or have been dyed for re-use by someone else.

——————————

First photoset, l-r: Chloe from jcaldwell6889, Harriet from harrietdeany, Leesa from l.eesa

Second photoset: Harriet back from zoe.louise.makeup, Harriet front from harrietdeany, all others from l.eesa

[lucimiir]

Are there anymore books like the winternight trilogy? I've been in love with the winternight trilogy since I read it and now I want something similar lol. I'm obsessed.

Hey oh my gosh I literally just noticed this ask so sorry!

The FIRST thing I think of when I think of books like the winternight trilogy is definitely spinning silver or uprooted by Naomi novik, they’re similar to the extent I actually posted about that at one point, but still have a lot to enjoy on their own. They’ve got similar fairytale vibes and similar characters. Definitely check it out!

I also recommend City of Brass (the Daevabad trilogy) for a similar high fantasy rooted in history feel and awesome characters, or anything by Robin McKinley for a classic medieval fairytale vibe

[sloppypears-ash-sg]

The Toy Island (AU)

Host and Bow go to a child's bedroom in the big house that the former, latter, and latter's friends stay in.

In the bedroom, there is an island toy where Bow's doppelganger, Bot, and her (Bow's) friends, Cabby, Balloon, Silver Spoon, Paintbrush, Yin-Yang (known as Yin and Yang here), OJ, MePhone4S (a toy phone), Tea Kettle, and Island (Floory in this AU) are all hanging out.

Host introduces himself and tells his backstory (which will be fully revealed later on; it isn't a happy one, of course).

Note: the reason Host has an III (or a Roman numeral 3) on his back rather than the Meeple logo is because he was built by a different company, so while he is a version of MePhone4, by form, he isn't a MePhone at all.

[liquidlightandrunningtrees]

She lies on silver pillows: the sun leans over her. He warms and warms her, kisses and kisses her. There are sparks in her hair and she stirs in laughter.

Katherine Mansfield, the awakening river