#sandwriting

[jeremiahjahi]

I have never written in the sand. I actually like when others do. I take pictures of ish that grabs my spirit and won't let go. Lean in and Keep moving. #passion #sandwriting #mindsetiseverything #growth #cinema #thebeach #travelphotography #worldcinema #blackcinema #playwright #brooklyn #scriptdevelopment #CINEMA #WORLDCINEMA #nightwalk #brooklynnights #BLACKCINEMA #PLAYWRIGHT #CREATIVITY #mindsetmatters #KEEPMOVING #leanin #PERSERVERENCE #INSTAGRAM #FACEBOOK #CULTURE #WORLDCULTURE https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm30Xc9u968/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bluelightningtv]

https://youtu.be/quWwF3PHX4Y

[ogrepoppenangleaksofficial]

@sandwrites This a good time to mention that I tried to make two little dioramas like your question in Heroforge many months ago?

Kitten vs Kitten: https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3Dda96bad3-373f-43b7-818d-154ba054ac82/TTS%20Kitten%20v%20HTP%20Kitten%20V2/

Marckus vs Magnus: https://www.heroforge.com/load_config%3D31415e65-5645-4bb5-add0-73ccf41e900b/TTS%20Magnus%20v%20HTP%20Marckus%20V3/

[isfjmel-phleg]

March 2024 Books

Norby, the Mixed-Up Robot by Janet and Isaac Asimov

This one was a lot of fun! I should track down the rest of the series.

The World's Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson

I was very confused about what era this world was mimicking (are they Victorian? 1920s/30s?), but it was a fun story and I enjoyed the dynamic between the protagonists.

A Dig in Time by Peni R. Griffin

I remember liking this one, but it feels like I read it years ago and I can't remember everything. Time travel with a family emphasis.

The Promise by Monica Hughes

Like Sandwriter, which this is a sequel to, I initially wasn't so sure that I liked this one, and then it went in an unexpected direction that took the themes in a more complex place, and I appreciated that.

The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

I generally like fairy tales well enough, but this one was rather a slog to get through, and I ended up skimming a lot of it. There were some familiar favorites, but a lot of the tales were of the variety that consist of an interesting set-up followed by a seemingly incoherent series of events, and I regret I don't have enough interest in folklore to get much out of that.

The Romance of a Shop by Amy Levy

Interesting from a historic perspective mostly, but I didn't connect much with the story.

The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn by Amber A. Logan (reread)

Reread so it would be fresh in my mind before the presentation. You already know how I feel about this one.

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter (reread)

Same as above. I have a post in drafts with some thoughts on this one that may eventually see daylight.

The Making of May by Gwyneth Rees (reread)

Already discussed this one.

A Bit of Earth by Karuna Riazi (reread)

Beautifully written and very readable and develops its themes well. Does fall into the trap of making the story about grief (Maria's late parents were frequently absent from her life, and she resents this, but she did have relationships with them in ways that her counterpart in the original book never did with her parents, so it's a completely different dynamic). I found this Colin to be somewhat underdeveloped, but I did appreciate the concept of his being fearful about failing to live up to family expectation, which is a reasonable translation of the original character's source of shame.

Charley by Joan G. Robinson

I don't remember much of this one. Didn't have any problems, just didn't have as much impact as other books by this author have for me.

Greenwild by Pari Thomson

A very derivative example of the Child Learns That They Are Magical And Special And Enters A Fantastical World Where They Must Take On The Villain sort of story. I wanted to enjoy it, but everything felt trite.

Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time Lords by Steve Tribe

This was a gift from my brother. I am a very casual DW fan and haven't really engaged with the show in quite a while (really should rewatch and catch up on new stuff but that's a pretty big time commitment right now). I think I would have got a lot more out of this if I were more than passingly familiar with Classic Who and all the lore in general.

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

I was interested in this one because it's a retelling of "The Yellow Wallpaper," and the concept of comparing the difficulties of getting difficult-to-trace chronic illnesses taken seriously and diagnosed in today's world to the mishandling of women's medical and psychological conditions in the late nineteenth century intrigued me. However, this book didn't really know what it wanted to be. The young protagonist's struggles with her mystery chronic illness took up most of the book, but there was also a plot about a literal ghost in the wallpaper of her new attic bedroom that needs to be defeated in the end, and neither of these things fitted well together. One or the other of them would have been fine, but the combination left me confused about the nature of this fictional world and the themes of the book in general.

Comics/Graphic Novels

Benevolent Sisters of Charity (Over the Garden Wall)

This is the only one of the OTGW comics that I wasn't able to buy before it went out of print, so I ILLed it and realized that it was for the better that I hadn't. The story was incoherent and pointless and the characters were OOC. The art was much better than the story deserved.

Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 3

I've read these as a webcomic already but wanted it in book form too. These are entertaining; you just have to go into it aware that this is The Fluffy World version of everybody and they are characterized accordingly.

The Flash by Grant Morrison & Mark Millar

Not on a level with Waid's work, of course, but the highlight of this one was the storyline in which Linda dies and Wally manages to bring her back (some good Bart content here) and a delightfully meta short story in which Mark Millar meets up with Wally to figure out what story about him to tell next...and Wally is given a co-writing credit in the end.

The Flash by Mark Waid Books Seven and Eight

An effective end to this run. Waid points out in his Afterword that he's still got another story on reserve, so...anytime he wants to give that to us, that would be great. I'll be waiting.

The Secret Garden on 81st Street: A Modern Retelling of the Secret Garden by Ivy Noelle Weir (reread)

You know how I feel about this one. (I whipped it out at the convention to show somebody who was talking to me about CEN in the present day through leaving one's child to technology that that concept was used in this retelling, and somebody nearby oohed about what a diverse retelling it was as I flipped through pages. Which is, you know, more important than effective storytelling. It should have done both! We could have had both!)

Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Omnibus Volume 5

I've read this in webcomic form already, but it's a pleasure to have a physical copy of the latest omnibus.

Sinister Sons #1-2 plus additional material establishing the backgrounds of Lor-Zod and Sinson

A sort of response to the series Super Sons (which featured Jon Kent at his proper age and Damian Wayne), by the same author. This is going to be about a teamup of Lor-Zod (son of General Zod, was Chris Kent in another continuity, has apparently been Zukoed in this incarnation) and Sinson (a young, apparently orphaned thief who believes that his father must be Sinestro, the Green Lantern's arch-nemesis). So far the boys haven't done much more than fight, but I'm interested to see where this is going. (#3 is in the mail now!)

Lor is a horrid little piece of work, but his parents' recent treatment of him puts him in a more sympathetic situation, and I am hoping he'll get a redemption arc that would move him closer to his original version. Sinson is no angel either, but he's just a child who really, really wants a family and is clinging to the only hope for one that he has--and if that means he's a supervillain's son, then he's ready to follow in those footsteps to gain acceptance.

(Also he drew a mustache on himself with a black marker to look more like his alleged father, and that's so ridiculous and kind of endearing.)

[cdekultura]

Sand writing #wakeupnrun #nrc #nikeplus #running #run #bcn #spain #workout #nike #sandwriting #beach #eLedeleo

[foxy-voxy]

Here's why we're Third Coast Calligraphy 💕 We love Lake Michigan! What do you love most about where you live? #lettering #sand #sandwriting #3rdcoastcal #summer #watchusgo #watchmuskegon https://www.instagram.com/p/CDAP28HnyTC/?igshid=gj2h6nvjzg23

[elekin0011]

Elekin0011 Was Here!

🏜

[cmodplays]

Cool #sand #sandart #sandwrite #sandwriting #artsand #cool #fancy #cmodplays #writing

[capecodartandnature]

Be kind. That works for today and every day. #capecod #beach #sand #sandwriting #bekind #wordstoliveby #getoutside https://www.instagram.com/p/CAkjCXsnFO7/?igshid=4e2mg1wmcscf

[thewhitemuseum]

Jesus writes on sand with his forefinger. Every grain he moves is a planet.

[babamoon]

Ahhh we are back home now after a lovely day! We had lots of fun at the Grand Pier, a long walk and play on the beach, getting blown over by the wind and burying our feet! Lol. Just one more day of relaxing time for these guys before school ☺️🏖 . . . . . #igkids #instakids #summerkids #schoolholidays #smartkids #coolkids #summerfun #kids #mydaughter #myson #family #sandwriting #familyphoto #myfamily #mykids #ilovemyfamily #ilovemykids #funday #happy #smile #mumlife #mylife #momlife #happyfamily #myfavouritepeople #nameinthesand #happiness #beachday #monday #mondayfunday (at Weston-super-Mare) https://www.instagram.com/p/B163BdPAjH3/?igshid=jj7a9onnqkn9

[ikstenom]

The writing on the sand will disappear but the memories will linger forever.

[isfjmel-phleg]

November 2023 Books

To Nowhere and Back by Margaret J. Anderson

Short time-slip story. Bit of an odd ending, but I enjoyed it.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (reread)

Reread in anticipation of the film, which I'm going to have to wait to see.

Between Floors by W. R. Gingell

Slowly making my way through this series. The character interactions in this one grabbed my attention, and I'm looking forward to the next installment whenever I can manage to get it.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Read for a book club that I'm sort of in. This was the first assigned book that I've actually wanted to bother with in quite a while, and then I wasn't able to join the discussion (no voice from a cold). Even so, I don't know what I would have said. I liked the book well enough but don't have any particular strong feelings about it. I guess I was expecting something a lot...more in-depth?

Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill

An extremely dedicated and single-minded young cellist has an accident that forces her life to take a different direction and finds growth and healing in helping her brother raise a giant pumpkin, a project that will bring them closer to their entire neighborhood. I enjoyed this a lot.

The Faces of Fear by Monica Hughes

This is an aggressively 1990s book with some rather dated perspectives, but I enjoyed the premise of the protagonist developing a friendship with someone she's never met through a VR game they're playing together, which has been designed to prey on their specific fears.

Sandwriter by Monica Hughes

I'd need to reread this one for it to sink in fully, but the worldbuilding and characterization were enjoyable, and I'd like to read the next book.

The Shadows of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny

Not as emotionally affective as the first book but nonetheless good. Although it had been long enough since I had read the earlier installment that I had forgotten names, and it was a bit difficult to get reoriented since the narrative expects you to remember everything right off the bat.

Tin by Pádraig Kenny

Beautiful. Moving. I never expected to get so invested in mechanical characters.

The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike Madrid

If you're going to discuss female characters in comics, maybe don't devote a significant portion of the book to overly detailed, purple-prosey descriptions of objectifying costumes or use derogatory terms to describe real or fictional women. Madrid claims to feel a connection with female superheroes but seems most interested in them for objectification while presenting his views as empowering/exalting them. Also way too many contrived comparisons to things in music history.

The Cloud Forest by Joan North

Some interesting characterization but too mystical (if that's the word I'm looking for) for my taste.

The Hideaway Summer by Beverly Hollett Renner

Such a delightfully middle-grade premise of young siblings who end up spending their summer living on their own in a vacation house near the woods and their domestic adventures. A lot of fun.

The Dark House of the Sea Witch by Joan C. Robinson

Slighter than Robinson's other books which I've read, but a well-written read.

Moonbranches by Anne Rundle

Fantastically Gothic atmosphere, but a weird, weird ending. I don't know how to feel about this one.

Mystery on the Isle of Skye by Phyllis A. Whitney

More of a travelogue/informational guide to the Isle of Skye than an actual story or mystery. Which doesn't make it bad, but I was less invested in it compared to other books I've read by this author.

Secret of the Stone Face by Phyllis A. Whitney

Standard Whitney mystery, not one of the more memorable ones for me.

Comics

The Ray 1994

The miniseries that preceded this ongoing series had a fascinating premise but not so much emphasis on characterization, so I was delighted to find that that changed with the 1994 series, which has a different author. Lots of shenanigans, to be sure, but we also get Ray's difficulties adjusting to adulting in the real world after living in lightless isolation for eighteen years, his doubts and insecurities and bouts of depression, and most of all, his complicated relationship with his father, the legacy he's been forced into, and his potential to become more like his father than he's willing to recognize. The Terrills have a fascinatingly complex and dysfunctional dynamic that provides a lot to analyze, and I'll be thinking about this series for a long time.

there is so much drama here that is being slept on, where are the Rayfam fics?

[man-me--a-sand]

Kisses

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23302486

Pairing: Remile

Characters: Emile Picani, Remy Sanders, Kai (Cartoon Therapy)

Warnings: none

“Hey, babes.” Remy leaned over Emile’s shoulder.

“What are you doing here! I thought you didn’t get off till four!”

“Got off early. Do you have any appointments today? We should head home, go grab an early dinner.”

“Sorry, dear. I’ve got a kid coming today.”

Remy pulled the stool so Emile was facing him and sat on his husband's lap. “C’mon?” He shifted his leg so the short skirt slipped up, revealing more leg.

“Remy, I can’t cancel on Kai.” Emile shoved him on the floor. “Now shoo, go wait outside.”

“Whyy. They’re not here yet, let me stay.” He hopped back onto Emile’s lap, and pushed his face forward. “Let’s enjoy ourselves.”

Emile sighed, but a smile graced his face. “Fine.” He leaned in and his lips hit Remy’s.

Just seconds after, the door opened. “Um, Dr. Picani? Sorry I’m late-oh, sorry, I’ll just wait outside.”

Emile turned bright red and pulled away. “No, Kai, it’s fine. He was just leaving.” He gave Remy a gentle shove out the door.

“Later, babes.” Remy said, blowing a kiss.

Kai sat down awkwardly, as Emile adjusted his tie quickly.

“So, who was that..?”

“Oh, Remy, my husband. So, how have things been since our last appointment?”

[mikesaintjules]

First release of the year under @euphonicrecords Visions! Venturing into the deeper sounds using my 'MSJ' alias. The Sandwriter EP comes out on Jan 25th! #sandwriter #progressive #deep #euphonic https://www.instagram.com/p/BsN_zgcFj7g/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16c15n8a6xer

[qualitykittenpainter]

Sand writer Skryf