#review february

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ CATHERINE'S YEAR IN REVIEW : 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 ✧• ─

𝟏𝟎 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : Catherine and William along with their children left for Sandringham to spend Half-Term Break.

𝟐𝟎 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : It was announced that the 'Cosy At Christmas' campaign backed by Catherine since November 2023 raised more than £100,000 and received 12,500 items of clothing as donations for Baby Banks.

𝟐𝟒 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : Kensington Palace confirmed that Catherine had a new private secretary - Lieutenant Colonel Tom White.

𝟐𝟗 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : William released a statement on behalf of Catherine and himself against the rise in antisemitism. Additionally, Kensington Palace released a statement shutting down media intrusions in Catherine's recovery.

[mizgnomer]

David Tennant as Macbeth

in honor of the final shows of their glorious West End run on 14 December, 2024

...for Tennant Tuesday (or whatever day this post finds you)

Photographer: Marc Brenner

[eeveekitti]

rambley my new best friend rambley

[kirby-the-gorb]

[chalamet-chalamet]

Great reviews for Dune: Part Two! 💥💥💥

[ygoartreviews]

Skeletal Dragon Felgrand

Now THIS. THIS is what I want a Felgrand Dragon counterpart to look like: a radically different, ultra rad design that still is very recognizably Felgrand Dragon. They really went nuts with the prompt "Take Felgrand Dragon and make it look fucked up." From the elongated, skeletal limbs to the weird purple veins to the absolutely horrific exposed spine, this monster screams "undead dragon." Don't even get me started on how well done the foreshortening is on this one. Perfectly seamless AND you get to see all those freaky details on its close up hand. The decision to pair Felgrand's normal colors with purple was excellent and really brings this card home for me. It even has purple wing membranes now!!! Not to mention the evil, entropic energy radiating from it now. Man I can't stop staring at its literal actual spine though.

Rating: 10/10, World's Most Fucked Up Dragon

[why-the-heck-not]

>:(((( I have a phonecall today that I have to answer, and ofc some other random phone call came in and I answered bc thought it was that. >:((( it wasn’t and now today’s total is going to be 2 phone calls. this is my nightmare

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

February Wrap-Up

House of Flame and Shadow (Sarah J. Maas) ★★★★

The Heiress (Rachel Hawkins) (audio) ★★★★

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (Heather Fawcett) ★★★★

The Invocations (Krystal Sutherland) ★★★★★

One of Us is Dead (Jeneva Rose) (audio) ★★★1/2

Faebound (Saara El-Arifi) ★★

Flawless (Elsie Silver) ★★★★

The Fortune Seller (Rachel Kapelke-Dale) (audio) ★★★★1/2

Her Little Flowers (Shannon Morgan) ★★★★1/2

Let's be friends over on Goodreads (link)! I'd love to see what you're all reading.

[enchantedlandcoffee]

my 2023 art year in review

inspired by and using @londonfoginacup 's template and post found here

[emachinescat]

A Year in Book Review: My 2024 Reading Journey 📚

#23 - The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

Fantasy / Trials of Apollo #1 / 385 pages / published 2016 / Finished Feb. 16 (reread)

One Sentence Review: Another brilliant installment in the Percy Jackson universe, this book boasts loveable characters - familiar and new - as well as truly loathsome villains, a hilarious narrator, tons of Greek mythology, some questionable poetry, real heart and emotion, and, of course, our beloved Camp Half-Blood.

Favorite Quotes

"Live fully and without fear."

*

"Aquaman driving / Couldn't possibly be worse / Oh, wait, now it is"

*

"Seven-layer dip / Chocolate chip cookies in blue / I love this woman"

*

"Things can turn out differently, Apollo. That's the nice thing about being human. We only have one life, but we can choose what kind of story it's going to be."

*

"I could feel the magic taking hold, despite the Arrow of Dodona whispering to me like an annoying Elizabethan stagehand, SAYEST THOU, 'PLAGUEY, PLAGUEY, PLAGUEY!' ... FIE! TOO STRONG IS THY PLAGUE. The Dodona Arrow hummed with annoyance. THY CHANTING SUCKETH ... METHINKS THOU HAST BLOWN IT, said the Dodona Arrow, my source of infinite wisdom. MOREO'ER, HIE! TAKEST THOU THE REINS."

*

"I spluttered something like, 'Nuh-uh, dun-doot!' I may have waved my Brazilian handkerchief with the hope that its magic would destroy my enemies."

*

"Listen to the trees / The trees know what is up, yo / They know all the things"

*

"A father should do more - a father should give more to his children than he takes."

My rating: 5/5

A Few More Thoughts (Spoilers):

Like all of Uncle Rick's books, it's fantastic. Of course, the fact that Percy Jackson makes an appearance makes me very happy, but the book is incredible in its own right. Apollo is the best kind of narrator - hilarious, loveably conceited, with excellent growth - and Meg is a joy. It's the perfect mix of action, tension, and humor.

For me, the most surprising part was that Meg was working with Nero and was leading Apollo into a trap. It's not just the betrayal that got me, though. It's the darkness of Meg's situation and abuse, that Nero - her "beloved" stepfather - and the Beast - her tormentor - were the same people, but separate to her.

Anyone can change and grow if given the opportunity, especially if they have someone to fight for, someone to believe in them.

Also, Nico and Will were beyond adorable and deserve the world.

Finally, I need a short story of Annabeth taking care of Percy as he recovers from that nasty head cold!

[citycircuit]

february tennis review

i only noted the things that stood out to me so this is by no means intended to be like. an in-depth review. i hope i hit the major points my memory sucks lmfao i'm going to write things down as they happen going forward

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ WILLIAM'S YEAR IN REVIEW : 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 ✧• ─

𝟕 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : The Prince of Wales held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. Later, he attended London's Air Ambulance Charity Gala at Raffles and was received by Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London (Mr. Stuart Shilson)

𝟏𝟎 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : William and Catherine, along with their children, left for Sandringham to spend Half-Term Break.

𝟏𝟑 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : The Royal Foundation announced a new partnership between The Lord Mayor’s Appeal & Homewards.

𝟏𝟖 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : The Duchy of Cornwall announced the estate’s first Innovative Housing Project, which will provide 24 homes in Nansledan as part of Homewards. William attended British Academy Film Awards in London in the evening.

𝟐𝟎 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : The Prince of Wales released a statement recognising the human suffering caused by the war in the Middle East and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, as well as the rise in antisemitism. Subsequently, William visited the British Red Cross Society in London. He spoke via video call to the personnel providing aid on ground in Gaza.

𝟐𝟏 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : William held an Investiture at Windsor Castle.

𝟐𝟗 𝐅𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 : William visited Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London. He also released a statement against the rise in antisemitism.

[finalset]

watched the power of the dog and now I am Thinking

[thoughtsickles]

Fic roundup 2023

Did I meet my goodreads goal this year? No. Did I read a LOT of fic? You bet! These are my favorites:

Cooperative Gameplay by grayola Shameless (american) Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich 421,889 words

I don’t care about video games or famous/nonfamous AUs generally. But this fic. ohmygod the sex scenes are so good and the whole thing is so achingly romantic and epic.

Do you need to have watched Shameless to read it? Well I think you SHOULD watch all of shameless on a month-long binge like I did. I think that would improve your life. But this is pretty AU and is probably not strictly necessary to have prior knowledge of the show. 

Things Beyond Mistake by grayola Shameless (american) Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich 130,497 words (WIP)

By the same author, this crushingly unfinished story about small towns and the South and longing—I know some people don’t read WIPs bc they don’t want to do this to themselves. I love pain. Let's all go leave very nice comments for the author so they will maybe finish this!!

Case by Case by lapsi Mindhunter Holden Ford/Bill Tench 165,441 words

Listen you SHOULD watch Mindhunter. But even if you haven’t, you may enjoy this real fucked-up kinda slow-burn romance between two people who are ruinously codependent and obsessive, among meticulously crafted mysteries. I will warn you, the ending for this had me pacing my apartment yelling “that’s it??!!!” for several hours after. But I am still wholeheartedly recommending this. 

Missing Moments by @paperstorm 911 Lonestar TK Strand/Carlos Reyes 175,952 words

You should just read everything paperstorm has written. But this series in particular is such required reading for my Lonestar peeps. TK and Carlos at their angsty-iest, rawest, sexiest, most beautiful. This is the kind of show where I NEED to know more than the episodes alone give me and this fic gives so much more!! And I hear there is more on the way!

When Soulmates Swim by @carlos-in-glasses 911 Lonestar TK Strand/Carlos Reyes 53,187 words

TK and Carlos healing deep hurts both physical and mental, together! Canon-compliant AU! Sexy sexy sexy!

Magnetic North by paperstorm 911 Lonestar TK Strand/Carlos Reyes 145,796 words

Ok one more paperstorm! This one is for all my sports AU fans and hockey shippers. TK is a prickly hothead and secret addict who gets traded to Carlos' team. Carlos is just trying to be a good captain. Enemies to lovers! Hotel room intrigue!

don't forget to read the fic I published this year, i can't afford to want you more, a series of TK/Carlos character moments from s01 featuring lots of angst and sexytimes

[mylittlecomfortplace]

Mistakenly Saving the Villain [Danmei Review]

➺ 4.5/5 🌟

TW: r*pe/ sexual assault, mental health issues, attempted suicide

Before I reached the end, I already decided to give this danmei a solid 4 stars. But the last there or four chapters, that explanation at the end about where everything started? That deserves a 4.5 stars!! Still not quite a 5 stars, but almost!!

I've already read quite a few transmigration novels and most of them didn't bother giving an explanation as to why and how the transmigration happened. I have nothing against those novels because I enjoyed most of them and not that it bothered me, I still liked the flow of the plot regardless. But this novel coming back around at the end, making even the tiniest details make sense is what made me give this another half a star rating!!

I actually want to list some of the things that seemed one thing but in reality, they weren't just that simple. THESE ARE A LITTLE BIT SPOILER-Y:

I was actually not a big fan of love triangles because of so many reasons, and I didn't realize this novel also has one. I thought it was a bit unnecessary, that the plot can still do without it. But it was revealed that the second love interest's existence served an entirely different purpose than just being the love rival, and I loved that so much!

There are a lot of reviews from NU about not wanting to finish this because they said that the MC is too 'stupid'. Song Qingshi is not really stupid as they say, he's actually very smart, but his intelligence is mostly focused on his specific field, especially in medicine. He is more like having a very low EQ, not really good at picking up social cues, very ignorant to the things that doesn't concern his work and he didn't really know how to deal with people. He has social anxiety (and usually stutters when talking to other people, except when talking about his medicines) and that drew the line between him and the outside world. Because of that, he seemed very slow in the head. He's very naive and gullible most of the time. But that part of him actually has an unexpected explanation that those SQS haters didn't get to know because they chose to drop this novel halfway because of the reason that the MC is too 'stupid'.

And for someone with a very low EQ and not good with words, Song Qingshi can sometimes deliver the most beautiful lines:

You once wished me good luck for the night and now, I want to wish you good luck your entire life.

Song Qingshi gently placed his palm on his chest and said gently, "Wuhuan, your heart is sick" Yue Wuhuan bowed his head and asked, "My heart?" His heartbeat was speeding up. His body was burning hot, as if it was calling out to something. Song Qingshi raised his head. "Does it hurt every day?" Yue Wuhuan looked at him for a long time, and finally nodded. "It hurts" Song Qingshi took him into his arms, patted him and comforted him softly, "Don't be afraid. I'll hurt with you"

"Don't give up and don't persuade me to give up either. I have the world's most stubborn heart, even if I hit a wall thousands of times, ten thousands of times, I will never look back. If you really can't bear the pain and despair and decide to abandon this world, then I will accompany you"

Song Qingshi's love for watching the clouds as a hobby. It seemed like something the author would randomly threw as the MC's pastime, especially as a loner, but there's more to it than that.

All the dreams about the phoenix. We all know who that phoenix is, and that there's something important about the dreams, but once the significance of those dreams was revealed, re-reading those dreams makes so much sense.

The ML Yue Wuhuan has an special attachment with different stones, especially the beautiful ones. His hobby of collecting stones is tied to his real identity and after knowing his identity, it revealed why he has a natural affinity with Song Qingshi. And that actually makes my heart so soft!

The MC saying that 'my heart is born for you' to the ML, you might think it's only for romantic appeal? NO!! There's a deeper meaning to that!!

The ML also has a yandere personality that some of the readers didn't really like but just so you know, he's the type of yandere that knows his own boundaries and limitations. He is self-aware. He might be the best yandere that I've read in a while that never forced himself to the MC. And his yandere personality didn't just come out of nowhere either. You might say that his yandere personality comes from his trauma, but him trying to control his possessiveness so that he wouldn't suffocate the MC is also making his mental health issues more severe, hence the stalemate.

There are a lot more, but I won't list all of them. You can pick this up if you want to learn more. Just know that:

This novel certainly has some heavy topics. Trigger warnings are there for a reason. There are chapters that are really hard to read. Fortunately if a chapter gets really heavy with trigger warnings, the translator has this note at the start of that specific chapter that provided a summary of it so you can choose to skip it without losing the importance of that chapter. I personally read the whole chapters so I know how heavy it got sometimes, so proceed with caution if you plan on reading this.

Thinking back about how this novel started, I was surprised how much the plot grew from just a simple transmigration to something much more than that. I never expected all of it to happen just from the first few chapters and I loved where the plot took me.

[cypreus-and-willow]

February and March in Review

February

Week 1

Finished all Digimon Survive Week prompts

Posted new chapter for Just wanna hold your hand

Week 2

Finished sketching and inked 90s Boyband Survive

Ready for colour

(these colours are what I have planned) I was thinking graphic markers but I suck at graphic markers so we'll see (its now April and Ive decided: its graphic markers)

Week 3

Posted Shuuji’s chapter in An Exercise in Empathy

March

We were already in the middle of March before I realised it wasn't February anymore.

I was supposed to give myself a week long break but its turned into a month and a half. Anyway, things happened. Ive been busy and will continue to be busy going to the 5th wedding this year because all my friends are getting married and for some reason they want me in the wedding either to set up/decorate the venue or like… as a door lady.

So for a whole month (other than sorting out real life problems) Ive been lying in bed like a vegetable overthinking. Which is dangerous but also fricking hilarious (to me anyway).

TLDR; had an existential crisis and stopped functioning for a month