#this book made me a bigger fan of neil gaiman than i already was

[coffeeinthelibrary]

my favourite thing about The Ocean at the End of the Lane is that it wasn't until the nickname "handsome george" that I realised that the entire family was nameless. like obviously microcosm and all that and metaphor but also the fact that it's written in such a way that its not a notable thing for most of the novel (or maybe that's me being unobservant)

[alphabotanical]

fuck neil gaiman. obviously. what he did was monstrous and utterly indefensible. his flimsy excuse of a statement is laughable and i believe and stand with the women who have come forward. he deserves prison, and it's despicable on the part of the justice system that he'll never get it.

but speaking as someone in fan spaces dedicated to media gaiman created, i don't appreciate the people who have taken it upon themselves to be the media police. a lot of people have all of a sudden declared themselves the arbiters of morality and instantly condemn anyone who didn't immediately take a torch to every page written by gaiman they've ever possessed. i'm not saying this is not a valid reaction; i never enjoyed his solo novels and will be getting rid of the only one i ever owned (i did not get even a quarter of the way through american gods before getting bored and weirded out by the way he wrote women). you can erase his name from your shelves, you can scribble it out, hold a bonfire, whatever is cathartic for you.

however, if you're on tumblr reading through the tags, you probably have some kind of emotional attachment to a piece of media he created, and a blanket command to destroy a book or delete a tv show you love is not helpful or productive in seeking a resolution. obviously the most important thing here is the victims. our personal feelings about his work obviously don't really matter. but shaming someone for having complicated feelings about the creator of something they really love turning out to be a horrible person doesn't do anything besides strengthen your own sense of righteousness.

because the thing is, we already knew this. anyone in the loop about good omens knew why production was halted last year and basically presumed dead. that podcast told the truth about him months ago, and i and many others spent months processing this and hurting for the women who came forward. anyone who just learned about it because of the new yorker hasn't had that time, is still in the knee-jerk reaction phase, and with the new details that have come out i too am horrified all over again. but after the first allegations, i grieved for good omens. i thought it was done for, that there would never be a season three, and i knew if gaiman wasn't divested from the production and would continue to profit from it that i would rather never have a third season at all. then gaiman stepped back, new directors and writers came in, and somehow it was going forward. i was so happy. i wanted season three so badly, and even though it was truncated, it was genuinely the best outcome anyone could have hoped for. gaiman's scripts wouldn't be used and he wouldn't be profiting. and as far as i know, production is still happening. what i'm trying to say is that we have known all of this for the past several months, and we have processed and watched the rollercoaster of season three's production and eventually come to our own conclusions on whether we want to support it. gaiman is financially severed, and the separation of art and artist is an issue in and of itself. but personally, my decision was that good omens is important to me, and the tv adaptation is a bigger thing than just gaiman.

other people might have made other decisions. i know some people have decided they can't watch it anymore, and i'm heartbroken that something i love has this stain on it now. but as long as i'm not giving him money, and that's a line i absolutely will not cross (pirating is a valid way to access media), i want to see good omens to its end. i don't know. i'm just really tired of being called a terrible person for feeling sad that something i love is now forever tainted, and i don't think it's helpful to see things in immutable black and white.

[theodorebasmanov]

You know, I’m not a “real” potterman – I’ve read the books, I’ve watched the movies, I read fanfiction once in a while, I watch @themischiefmanagers​  and I know my house, but I’m not a potterman. When I heard about “Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality”, I asked my mother, who is a potterman and reads loads of HP fanfiction, if it’s worth reading, she told me that she tried and it was boring and I forgot about it. Then, about a year and a half ago there started a crowdfunding campaign – they were publishing the fanfiction – three hard-cover books with snow-white paper. I’ve seen a lot of advertisement of it, especially on Facebook where my favourite non-fiction writers were recommending it. Then I’ve seen two of my classmates, who weren’t hard-core HP fans, reading and enjoying it. So, I’ve decided to read “Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality” myself. Well, I liked the idea – Harry Potter being a rational and well-educated kid, whose adoptive parents loved him, who uses scientific methods to understand the magical world. I enjoyed the beginning! The part in which Harry and Professor McGonagall going to the Diagon Alley was just brilliant! I also liked that the author changed the houses for many characters for more suitable ones – (I guess, here the spoilers start!) Harry and Hermione are in Ravenclaw, Neville is in Hufflepuff. The beginning of the school year was also interesting – Harry’s approach to everything, his friendship and learning sessions with Draco, professor Quirrell being unusual, after all. I had fun reading it, but, unfortunately, it didn’t last long. At some point, it started becoming boring and forgetting the original point and making Harry even a bigger Mary Sue (Martin Sue?) than in the original and bringing too many (TOO MANY) intrigues into the plot. I’ve already forgotten what exactly made me angry while reading, but, for example, the part with the dementor when Harry destroyed it singlehandedly just by thinking very hard about how much he believes in humanity I felt very strange. The episode with partial transfiguration when he again managed to complete something impossible by thinking about physics also was a little “illogical”. A lot of times I wanted to remind Mr Yudkowsky that the character is eleven years old (and it happened much more frequently than with another author (glance at Ms Rowling))! After the episode with Bella and Azkaban, I felt that Wikipedia’s “emotional blind spot towards subtle indications of Quirrell's secret” is a little too soft expression for Harry’s behaviour. When I read the part about Hermione killing Draco and Harry going to the court to Wizengamot I realized that I need to know what happens next and if I want to read it (by the way – the book is unbelievably long – it’s longer than the entire Lord of the Rings series including The Hobbit. I’ve read about three quarters.). Well, with the help of Wikipedia and Wiki I realized that I can hardly bear to read it up to the end. Seriously? Killing Hermione? Quirrell is still Voldemort? (I’m not against it because it was like that in canon, but because his “evilness” became too obvious at some point.) What I also didn’t like was that Dumbledore (as I understood it) at the end of the day was shown as a good character? I mean – fanfiction exists to show that an adult person intentionally jeopardizing children can’t be good. To sum up, I liked the idea but not the realization. Now I have some “The Witcher” books, Neil Gaiman’s “Gods” and “The Vampire Lestat” (recommended to me after my complaints about how boring I found the first book of the series) to read. 

P.S. The thing which also extremely annoyed me is how the author threw in this stuff about marauders and Sirius being lovers with Peter and then forgot about it for a few thousands of pages (my e-book pages, but still).

[truthbeetoldmedia]

American Gods 2x01 “House on the Rock”

Season 2 of American Gods is here, everybody! Finally! Two years after the first season premiered, we’ve been graced with the second season. After a couple different showrunners, Neil Gaiman himself took the helm. I’ve got to say, if the rest of the season is anything like this episode, it’s going to be pretty amazing!

The season opener picks up right where we left off. Mr. World (Crispin Glover) and Technical Boy (Bruce Langley) are recuperating after the showdown between the old gods and new gods at Ostara’s house in the finale. While Mr. World gets himself together and tries to track down where Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) is, he sends Technical Boy out to find Media, who had disappeared after the confrontation.  

Meanwhile, Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) and Mr. Wednesday are back on the road, and this time Mad Sweeney (Pablo Schreiber) and Dead Wife Laura Moon (Emily Browning) are along for the ride. The trip is several states in and the awkwardness in the car is stifling. Here’s a recap: Shadow Moon works for Wednesday, who is the All-Father, Odin. Mad Sweeney, a leprechaun, is one of Wednesday’s men, meaning he works for him occasionally. Laura is Shadow’s dead wife, who cheated on Shadow when HE went to jail for HER plan to rob a casino. Laura is only “alive” because Sweeney accidentally gave Shadow his lucky coin and, in turn, Shadow left the coin at Laura’s grave. The only reason Laura was actually in the grave to begin with was because Mr. Wednesday had her killed in order to get Shadow to eventually work for him. Sweeney, Wednesday, and Laura know this, but Shadow does not. So an “awkward car ride” is putting it lightly.  

Where are they heading? To the House on the Rock in Wisconsin. Mr. Wednesday has called a meeting of the old gods to prepare for the upcoming war. The Jinn (Mousa Kraish) and Bilquis (Yetide Badaki) have already made themselves comfortable while waiting for the rest to arrive. Mr. Nancy (Orlando Jones) arrives just as our protagonist(s) show up. Mr. Nancy stole the show this episode! He was absolutely hilarious! Sarcastic and flamboyant. The back-and-forth he had with Shadow made my night.  

The House on the Rock might as well be its own character. It presents some stunning visuals and made for a fantastic season opener! Nothing I love more than seeing a bunch of grown adults having the time of their lives on a carousel! It certainly led to one of my favorite scenes to envision from the book! Riding the carousel was the key to entering the meeting of the old gods in Mr. Wednesday’s mind. Czernobog (Peter Stormare) and Zorya Vechernyaya (Cloris Leachman) have returned and we’re introduced to Mama-ji (Sakina Jaffrey), who is an old Hindu goddess of war. Along with several other old gods, the conclusion of not wanting to fight the upcoming war is reached. Mr. Wednesday is trying to get them to rise up, but these old gods are cocky that these new gods will just disappear like a fading trend. Bilquis steps forward and informs them of how one of the new gods showed her their ways and her power is stronger than ever. You’ll remember Technical Boy threatening her into his service. He gave Bilquis her power back through technology. This has us wondering if Bilquis is actually recruiting for the new gods or if she’s just trying to convince the old gods to give in to them and accept change. In her own words, “Evolve or die.” Judging by the way Bilquis left the episode, I’m thinking that’s the case. I’m really excited to see Bilquis’ arc this season for that very reason.    

The episode ended with the old gods hanging out and drinking in a diner at Motel America. Laura reminded Shadow that Mr. Wednesday is dangerous. He doesn’t really seem to care because, for once, he’s actually believing in something for HIMSELF. He feels a part of something bigger than him. However, things don’t stay jovial for long. Mr. World has located this gathering (probably because of Bilquis, as she seemed to be doing something on her phone) and one of his lackeys starts shooting up the place. Shadow runs out to take the gunman out and gets abducted in the process. While there are a couple of casualties, the one that hits the hardest for our dear gods is that of Zorya Vechernyaya. She turns to Mr. Wednesday before she dies and says that he’s a bad good man and that she doesn’t want to say goodbye. I got emotional. Mr. Wednesday got emotional.  Czernobog got emotional...and vengeful. It would seem that now we have some old gods looking to go to that war now.

One thing I’m really sick of is Laura Moon and honestly? Kudos to Emily Browning. I hated Laura in the book and I just can’t stand her even more in the show. There’s a certain cockiness to her that I can’t stomach and it definitely helps that this beautiful young woman is decaying right before our eyes. Laura Moon didn’t have much of a presence in the book. That is certainly different in the series and the only good thing about her in the show is her antagonistic co-existence with Mad Sweeney. I know some people ship them and I know some people ship her with Shadow. I say just let her rot already. They both deserve better. Also? Stop calling Shadow your “puppy”. He’s not a dog. He’s a person. He’s a person who went to jail for YOU. He’s a person who you CHEATED ON with his BEST FRIEND while he went to jail for YOU. He’s also made it clear that he is no longer your puppy. I appreciate Laura saving his life, but she also wrecked it to begin with. I’m not bitter or anything. (I totally am.)  

Also, really not a fan of Laura being the first Moon to be kissed by Bilquis. I unabashedly ship Bilquis and Shadow because they’re beautiful and I adore Ricky and Yetide and their chemistry. Not really sure how that relationship would work, seeing as how Bilquis has a people-eating vagina, but I love it nonetheless and I’m feeling really disrespected that she kissed the rotting corpse of a dead wife before Shadow.  

While I’m still on the Laura train here, I am begging this show to give us more Sweeney without Laura. While I love their antagonistic relationship, because it’s honestly really fucking hilarious to see them go back and forth, he can have that kind of relationship with anybody. Pablo has chemistry with everyone in this cast. We got a glimpse of that in this episode with Mr. Nancy and we saw that last season with Mr. Wednesday, Shadow, and Salim. Laura ain’t special, yet the writers of this show seem to think she’s worth something. Can’t say I agree.  

All that saltiness aside, I’m actually really looking forward to this season! I can’t wait to meet Sam Black Crow (Devery Jacobs) and New Media (Kahyun Kim). Last season’s Media was played by Gillian Anderson and she was only signed on for one season. I think it makes complete sense to have the goddess of media be an ever-changing face. I am excited to see what Kim brings to the role and don’t even get me started on my little queer baby, Sam Black Crow! I have been waiting and waiting and waiting for her and we’re finally getting her! They couldn’t have picked a better actress! I’m eagerly anticipating both of their introductions to Shadow!    

American Gods airs Sundays at 8/7c on Starz.

Sarah’s episode rating: 🐝🐝🐝🐝

[aion-rsa]

Doctor Who Holiday Gift Guide: A Holiday in Who-ville

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The Doctor is in, and it’s about time. Although, it should be noted that the Doctor is also in a maximum-security prison, and time is running short for Earth with the return of the Daleks. Thankfully the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker, has her Companions, as well as the newly returned Captain Jack Harkness, on hero duty on our little planet.

That is all happening on New Year’s Day in the Doctor Who holiday special, ���Revolution of the Daleks.” Debuting on BBC-America at 8 p.m. ET, the January 1 episode picks up from the action following the twelfth season of the revived 56-year-old series, which aired this year from January to March.

Just to recap, that canon-shaking season brought The Master back, regenerated once more as a male human; traveled to Gallifrey, reduced to ruins (again); introduced Time Lord Cybermen, aka CyberMasters. The season ended with the whopper that the Doctor is the Timeless Child from another realm – with a lot more regenerations than previously confirmed — and that she is a being from whence all Time Lords emerged, thanks to DNA splicing. And all that happened before the cliffhanger of the Doctor being imprisoned for life by those intergalactic rent-a-cops the Judoon.

So yeah, a lot happened, and that doesn’t even cover the epic decade in the making surprise return of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, who is back again for the holiday special.

With so much happening in the world of Doctor Who, it seems like a great time for a themed holiday gift guide, a season in Who-ville, if you will. The items that follow are perfect goodies to wrap up, and stuff in a TARDIS-sized gift bag (bigger on the inside, of course) for all the Whovians in your life. And if you shop for something for yourself, that’s ok; just say you got it for one of your other regenerations.

David Tennant Does A Podcast With … Jodie Whittaker (Free)

You don’t need to spend money to let the Whovian in your life know you’re thinking of them this holiday season. And trust me, if they don’t already know about David Tennant’s podcast, they’ll be thanking you. Tennant, aka the Tenth Doctor, is a delightful human being, and a genuinely engaging conversationalist. And in his podcast – which just wrapped a second season – he converses with famous friends, costars, and newsmakers, such as Neil Gaiman, Ian McKellen, Billie Piper, and Stacey Abrams. His episode with Jodie Whittaker in February 2019, following her first full season as the Doctor, is a special treat. The two discuss getting to know one another on Broadchurch, but also discuss the unique role on Doctor Who – and what it was like for her to be the first woman to step into the part.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Thirteenth Doctor Mug ($8.95)

Blue shirt, rainbow stripes, and suspenders. If the Whovian in your life is like me, occasionally you want your fandom served up simple along with a cup of coffee. This orb-like mug captures the essence of the Thirteenth Doctor’s outfit with a few basic elements immediately recognizable to other fans. And it looks like it holds a lot of coffee, which is a perk.

Buy the Thirteenth Doctor Mug on Amazon.

Big Finish Audio Plays ($9+)

“I don’t want to go.” These last words of the Tenth Doctor are relatable for most Who fans when they see a character depart from the show, but thankfully there is Big Finish Productions. For more than 20 years, the company has produced Doctor Who audio plays starring cast from the show, including six of the nine living actors to have played the Doctor (with Christopher Eccleston set to reprise his role as the Ninth Doctor in stories to be released in 2021). In addition getting more adventures from favorite characters, Big Finish also has characters collide who never met on screen — such as Missy and River Song, played again by Michelle Gomez and Alex Kingston, in The Diary of River Song. And while Captain Jack Harkness may only be returning to Doctor Who for the holiday special, John Barrowman voices the character in more than two dozen Big Finish dramas.

Listen to the audio plays here.

Doctor Who Face Mask ($12)

Bowties, fezzes, Stetsons; the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) was especially known for his pursuit of the cool fashion – and a lot of hats — and 13 seems to be keeping the pattern going (see the tuxedo and ear cuff listings below). But if it’s one thing that’s cool in 2020, it’s face coverings, and it would not at all be a surprise for the Doctor to exclaim, “I wear a mask now. Masks are cool.” So this item from Liesl Schulz of Sewn by Liesl on Etsy is a timely entry for the Whovian on your gift list. They can also feel like a Time Lord out to protect humanity and can do so with the most minimal of effort by sporting a TARDIS-blue mask emblazoned with 12’s quote.

Buy the Doctor Who Face Mask here.

Thirteenth Doctor Action Figure with Red Top ($13)

I remember the moment we were all treated to the first look of Jodie Whittaker as the doctor in her cool coat, and that blue shirt with rainbow stripes. But by the third episode of Season 11, “Rosa,” the Doctor had switched things up with a red shirt. Even though this wardrobe change is a bold choice — considering red shirts are just bad luck in other sci-fi universes – I’m more partial to Jodie’s crimson shade. As such, this 5.5-inch Doctor action figure with bum bag and sonic screwdriver is a cool collectible for Whovian fans who like a different color on 13. (Although you can get the figure in blue as well, and a TARDIS playset she can fit in.)

Buy the Thirteenth Doctor action figure on Amazon.

Doctor Who Psychology: A Madman with a Box ($15)

What makes an ancient time-and-space traveler tick? How does an immortal deal with death? And why did he once say she “got on very well” with Freud? This book edited by Travis Langley, Ph.D., the fifth in the psychology professor’s “Popular Culture Psychology” series, explores the minds of the Doctor, her Companions, and villains. And while you may not think the Whovian in your life has a lot in common with a Time Lord, Madman delves into what Doctor Who says about human nature, and humanity. Full disclosure: I am a contributor to the book, which contains my interviews with Matt Smith, and David Tennant.

Buy Doctor Who Psychology on Amazon.

Thirteenth Doctor TARDIS Distressed Rainbow T-Shirt ($16+)

Combine the Thirteenth Doctor’s TARDIS, her signature rainbow (which doubles as a symbol for pride and acceptance), with a distressed design, and you have this happy, colorful shirt from Hot Topic. It feels like a retro design out of the 1970s (back when some older Whovians were watching the show on PBS) but celebrates the new Who. Just looking at it puts me in a better mood.

Buy the TARDIS Distressed Rainbow T-Shirt here.

Doctor Who 13th Doctor 3 Piece Gift Set – Journal, Mug & Superbitz Plush ($16.99)

This officially licensed trio of goodies packs a lot of holiday cheer for less than $20. The Thirteenth Doctor Superbitz plushy collectible is incredibly cute, while the 16-page lined journal features a rainbow striped hard cover with the phrase “The Future Is Not Written.” Meanwhile the “13 Is My Lucky Number” sporting a golden TARDIS graphic rounds out this happy little set.

Buy the 13th Doctor 3-Piece Gift Set on Amazon.

Doctor Who Friends and Foes of the 13th Doctor Set B ($25)

Nearly as soon as the Doctor regenerated into 13, she began gathering a family of four with Bradley Walsh’s Graham, Tosin Cole’s Ryan, and Mandip Gill’s Yaz. Yet, in a November interview with the BBC, Jodie Whittaker revealed “the fam as a four is no more,” and that Walsh and Cole would be leaving Doctor Who after the holiday special. But just because Graham and Ryan’s adventure on the show is coming to an end doesn’t mean their characters have to leave the world of your Doctor Who fan. Instead, if you picked up the Doctor 5.5-inch action figure above, you might as well couple it with this “Friends and Foes” set with all three of 13’s original companions.

Buy the Friends and Foes of the 13th Doctor Set B on Amazon.

Ian Leino Doctor Whoville T-shirt ($25)

Artist Ian Leino’s Doctor Whoville tee has been an evolving work for several years now. His Seussian design of all the regenerations of our favorite Time Lord gathered around a holiday TARDIS initially ended with Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. But over time, he has included John Hurt’s War Doctor, Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, and now Jodie Whittaker joins the Whos for a snowy celebration. Full disclosure: Ian has become a friend because I love this nerdy mash-up design so much, printed on a high-quality Bella + Canvas shirt. The design is likewise available on a hoodie, and holiday greeting cards.

Buy the Doctor Whoville T-Shirt here.

Hero Within TARDIS Woven Shirt ($45)

Across the globe, the TARDIS is more recognizable as the Doctor’s ultimate companion more than the police call box it’s disguised as. It is iconic and serves as a great inspiration for creative fans. Enter Hero Within, the apparel company that has been killing it with officially licensed, and well-made, nerdy fashion. Currently celebrating its new Doctor Who license, Hero Within has recently unveiled this woven TARDIS button-up shirt that calls to mind a work shirt while unmistakably inspired by the best ship in the universe.

Buy the Hero Within TARDIS Shirt here.

John Barrowman Cameo ($125)

There are few entertainment spectacles quite like a John Barrowman panel at a comic con. The man is a showman, and truly one of the funniest people to encounter at an event. Unfortunately comic cons are on hold at the moment, and the Doctor Who fan in your life might be craving the con experience — and jonesing for John. Thankfully, Barrowman is on Cameo, where he delivers pep talks, sends well wishes, and even sings a tune. And a custom message from Captain Jack Harkness himself is a great way to prepare for the New Year’s Day Special.

Subscribe to John Barrowman on Cameo.

Doctor Who Galaxy Single Ear Cuff ($150)

Jodie Whittaker is not only the first woman to play the Doctor, she is also the first to wear an earring. And what a great earring she debuted with! Designed by Alex Monroe, and available for purchase, the Galaxy Single Ear Cuff is a sterling silver piece that begins on top with a cluster of shooting stars, connected to a 22ct gold plated hand grasping another in harmony. The elegant design conveys much about the Doctor’s philosophy, but this jewelry is striking even absent any knowledge of the show. Monroe likewise created a Doctor Who Companion single stud earring of clasping hands, and a Galaxy necklace to complement the other pieces.

Buy the Doctor Who Galaxy Single Ear Cuff here.

The Thirteenth Doctor’s Tuxedo ($247+)

When Doctor Who returned for its twelfth season earlier this year, the Doctor sported a tuxedo that evoked the wardrobe of her previous generations, and basically had fandom freaking out with excitement. The outfit was likewise a nod to James Bond for the “Spyfall” espionage episodes. Well, Tamsin Hartnell of the “The Ultimate Guide to the Fashion of Doctor Who” has done an impressive job assembling the items for the Doctor’s tux for those who might want to recreate it. The Doctor’s double-breasted opera coat by Paul Smith runs for about $1450 alone (if you can find it). However, Tamsin helpfully suggests alternatives to creating an everyday cosplay of the outfit starting around $160, with the official black and gold bowtie by Blue Eyes Bowtie costing about $87. This will take some work to put the look together, but it’s time well spent. Also, take a look around the Ultimate Guide blog as it is chockful of interesting Doctor Who fashion info.

Assemble the Thirteenth Doctor’s look with this guide.

GeekOrthodoxArt TARDIS Stained Glass ($750)

For a thousand years the art medium of stained glass has been used to honor iconic figures and commemorate grand moments of historic and religious significance. And in the 21st Century, pop culture institutions can hold near religious importance, and are worthy of representation in this art form. So why not take your giftee’s Doctor Who fandom to the next level? This custom-made TARDIS stained glass artwork uses the medium’s traditional copper foil method and is composed from over 75 pieces of hand-cut glass. Crafted by GeekOrthodoxArt, the piece measures 12″ x 24″. The stained-glass design is likewise available as a $20 high-resolution professional grade vinyl window cling. (Also, if you want to make this gift even cooler for your Who fan, you can let them know that John Barrowman loved it so much, he bought one at the Pensacon event in 2018.)

Buy the TARDIS Stained Glass here.

TARDIS ($5800+)

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Much to this writer’s dismay, there is no pre-owned time machine lot to buy a working TARDIS for the Whovian on your gift list. But you can get pretty close. Iconic Studio Creations can build a custom, officially licensed, full-size TARDIS replica (well, technically, it’s a replica of the TARDIS in the guise of a police call box, thanks to the craft’s chameleon circuit). While not bigger on the inside, this is as close to the real deal as you can get, and ISC has worked with the BBC in building these babies. Sure, it’s a little expensive, but you can’t put a price tag on love – or time traveling ships. Iconic also creates replicas of Daleks, and a remote-controlled K-9, who would fit nicely in a new TARDIS. And if you prefer your time machine to have more practical applications, you can always get a DeLorean for your giftee.

Visit Iconic Studio Creations here.

The post Doctor Who Holiday Gift Guide: A Holiday in Who-ville appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[herwitchinesss]

annual list of books i have read this year

(i’m already doing my favorite reads of the year in instagram posts, so look out for those instead of my usual bold = favorite that i do; if you want to know about a specific book or if i have it available to lend out on eBook or give to you via Audible, send me a message! xo)

1) Mrs. Zant and the Ghost by Wilkie Collins 2) Dreamer’s Pool by Juliet Marillier 3) DC Bombshells Vol 3 by Marguerite Bennett 4) The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell 5) The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena 6) Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi 7) The Devourers by Indra Das 8) A Good Idea by Cristina Moracho 9) The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski 10) The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan 11) Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson 12) A Word For Love by Emily Robbins  13) The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter by Theodora Gross 14) Ahsoka by EK Johnston 15) Gwenpool Vol 2 by Christopher Hastings 16) Spell On Wheels by Kate Leth 17) Hi-Fi Fight Club by Carly Usdin 18) Beauty Vol 1 by Jeremy Haun 19) American Housewife, stories by Helen Ellis 20) 10 Things I Can See From Here by Carrie Mac 21) Imprudence by Gail Carriger 22) The Authentics by Abdi Nazemian 23) Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman 24) Delicate Monsters by Stephanie Kuehn 25) The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney 26) Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds 27) The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay 28) My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix 29) Crash Override by Zoe Quinn 30) Forest of Memory by Mary Robinette Kowal 31) Belle: The Slave Daughter & the Lord Chief Justice by Paula Byrne 32) Invincible Summer by Alice Adams 33) Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray 34) The Trap by Melanie Raabe 35) The End of Everything by Megan Abbott 36) A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas 37) Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (re-read) 38) The Girls by Emma Cline 39) I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest 40) The Likeness by Tana French 41) Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch 42) A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler 43) The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck 44) Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch 45) Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong---- and the New Research that’s Rewriting the Story by Angela Saini 46) In the Woods by Tana French 47) The Mothers by Brit Bennett 48) Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch 49) Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal 50) The World Is Bigger Now by Euna Lee 51) Hope In the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit 52) Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch 53) The Psychopath Inside by James Fallon 54) Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney 55) iZombie vol 1 by Chris Roberson 56) The End of the Affair by Graham Greene 57) The Book of Joan by Lidia Yuknavitch 58) Mercury by Margot Livesey 59) The Witches of New York by Ami McKay 60) The Girl At Midnight by Melissa Grey 61) Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller 62) Caraval by Stephanie Garber 63) Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace 64) Night of Cake & Puppets by Laini Taylor 65) The World According to Star Wars by Cass R Sunstein 66) Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero 67) The Sleeper & the Spindle by Neil Gaiman 68) Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley 69) The Runaways by Brian K Vaughan 70) Monstress Vol 1 by Marjorie M Liu 71) Beautiful Broken Girls by Kim Savage 72) November 9 by Colleen Hoover 73) The People We Hate At the Wedding by Grant Ginder 74) How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett 75) Mosquitoland by David Arnold 76) Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll 77) The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue by Mackenzi Lee 78) Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian 79) Fire with Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian 80) Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian 81) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 82) Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood 83) The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson 84) How To Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather 85) The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia 86) You’re Never Weird On the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day 87) One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus 88) Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery (re-read) 89) Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris 90) Lost Stars by Claudia Gray 91) The Mistletoe Murder & Other Stories by PD James 92) Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 93) I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman by Nora Ephron 94) Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo & the Battle That Defined a Generation by Blake J Harris 95) We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 96) Dear Mr You by Mary-Louise Parker 97) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell 98) The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant 99) Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt 100) Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth by Warsan Shire 101) Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales by Nelson Mandela 102) We Could Be Beautiful by Swan Huntley 103) Girl Walks Into a Bar... by Rachel Dratch 104) Bloodline by Claudia Gray 105) Romeo & Juliet by David Hewson 106) Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng 107) You Don’t Look Your age... And Other Fairy Tales by Sheila Nevins 108) The Regional Office Is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales 109) Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce 110) The Color Master: Stories by Aimee Bender 111) The Inseperables by Stuart Nadler 112) Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel 113) Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple 114) Moshi Moshi by Banana Yoshimoto 115) We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to Covergirl, the Buying & Selling of a Political Movement by Andi Zeisler 116) Beast by Brie Spangler 117) Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham 118) Ways to Disappear by Idra Novey 119) The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald 120) Dare Me by Megan Abbott 121) Eleven Hours by Pamela Erens 122) Pond by Claire-Louise Bennett 123) Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor 124) Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde 125) The Briefcase by Hiromi Kawakami 126) The Fever by Megan Abbott 127) Illusionarium by Heather Dixon 128) Life After Life by Kate Atkinson 129) Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson 130) The Dinner by Herman Koch 131) The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters 132) In the Country by Mia Alvar 133) Putin’s Russia by Anna Politkovskaya 134) You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott 135) The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura 136) Jackaby by William Ritter 137) Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson 138) Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 139) Rain by Amanda Sun 140) Norwegian by Night by Derek B Miller 141) The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco 142) Iron Cast by Destiny Soria 143) Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 144) Naomi & Ely’s No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn & David Leviathan 145) The Long Way To a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers 146) What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami 147) People of the Book, Jewish Sci-Fi/Fantasy anthology by various authors 148) Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, re-read 149) Exit, Pursued by a Bear by EK Johnston 150) The Bear & the Nightingale by Katherine Arden  151) The Nature of a Pirate by AM Dellamonica 152) Ink by Amanda Sun 153) More Than This by Patrick Ness 154) The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson 155) A Daughter of No Nation by AM Dellamonica 156) Lucky Us by Amy Bloom 157) This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper 158) Child of a Hidden Sea by AM Dellamonica 159) Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín 160) Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick 161) The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy 162) Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl 163) Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly 164) Candide by Voltaire 165) After You by JoJo Moyes 166) Pocket Full of Posies by Angela Roquet 167) Snow Flower & the Secret Fan by Lisa See 168) English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs 169) The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close 170) DC Bombshells vol 4 by Marguerite Bennett 171) DC Bomsbells Vol 5 by  Marguerite Bennett 172) DC Bombshells Vol 6 by  Marguerite Bennett 173) The Lion, The Witch & the Wardrobe by CS Lewis re-read 174) Breakfast At Tiffany’s by Truman Capote, re-read 175) The Love Artist by Jane Alison 176) Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling, re-read

[moviepasstor]

May 2018 Movies Reviewed from Just Their Trailers

If you haven't signed up for MoviePass yet, you may have missed your golden opportunity. Last summer, they dropped their price to $9.95 a month for one movie a day, with only premium formats like IMAX and 3-D excluded. But starting at some point in mid-April, the same $9.95/month gets new subscribers only four movies a month. While existing subscribers have not yet been moved over to such a limited plan, something like that might happen in the future, in which case I'll have to be more selective about which movies are worth of a MoviePass swipe, as the card's usefulness as "bad movie insurance" will be significantly reduced. Here, then, is a look at this month’s new releases, and which ones I’m most likely to MoivePass, based on their trailers, using the following rating scale:

@@@@ = I definitely plan to see this @@@    = I might be interested in seeing this @@        = I probably won’t see this @           = No intention of seeing this, ever.

BAD SAMARITAN @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Killers and robbers get caught up in a cat-and-mouse game when two would-be burglars break into a house that happens to belong to Killgrave. Okay, he's not really the Purple Man from Jessica Jones, but he's played by the same actor, David Tennant, and he has a woman tied up in his house, and that's a pretty cool complication. (Postponed from an April 27th release date, probably in hopes of debuting with a piece of the drop-off from Avengers: Infinity War.)

REVENGE @@@@ (definitely plan to see this)

Rape/revenge thriller in the vein of I Spit on Your Grave (2010), but this time they seem to be selling it as a #MeToo flick with review blurbs that call the heroine a “badass” and say the movie “gouges the male gaze out of your eye balls” (is there a reason the reviewer spelled eyeballs as two words?)

OVERBOARD (2018) @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Eugenio Derbez is a wealthy Mexican snob who humiliates poor white working-class single mom (Anna Faris), then gets amnesia, so she convinces him he's her blue-collar husband and he bonds with her kids while struggling to do manual labor for the first time in his life, and wouldn't you know it, they fall in love! There, the trailer tells the whole story of this gender-swapped, culture-clash-infused remake of a 1987 Goldie Hawn comedy I never even saw. Now I don't have to see either, but I've enjoyed Derbez's last few outings, and this does look like it will be funny despite its formulaicness (formularity?).

ON CHESIL BEACH @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

Young love blossoms on the 1962 English countryside for upper crust Saiorse Ronan and commoner Billy Howle, but then the music gets more dramatic and the only hint we get is that it has something to do with the sexual revolution of the time. My first thought was I doubt I'll be able to stay awake long enough to learn the film's dark secrets, but a second viewing of the trailer made me a bit more curious. From a novel by the author of Atonement, the film that gave Ronan her first Oscar nod but which, for me, built up to a big nothing burger.

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

In the original Star Wars, Han Solo was a gunslinger straight out of a Western. Here, his earlier adventures are more in the mold of the sci-fi action-based fantasy that the rest of the franchise is built around. Since these Star Wars Stories are allowed to exist as one-offs outside the main continuity, I would have rather seen a Solo movie that was more true to the spirit of the original character the same way Logan was allowed to be a different kind of X-Men movie from the rest of its franchise. But I'll still see this one at some point before it leaves theaters.

SUMMER 1993 @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

A newly orphaned six-year-old girl is sent to the country to live with relatives. While this looks "touching" and is based on the filmmaker's own childhood, the trailer gives no hint that anything story-worthy actually happens. It's listed as a drama, but how can that be without conflict? From Spain.

HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES @@@ (I might be interested in seeing this)

I love Elle Fanning, but I generally don't care for John Cameron Mitchell or Neil Gaiman. I can't tell what's going on from the trailer, which leads me to suspect the film will be narratively just as uninspiring to me as Shortbus and Hedwig. But Elle's moments in the trailer make this hard to pass up. This is where MoviePass earns its "bad movie insurance" reputation.

And the rest...

TULLY @@ (I probably won’t see this)

The first trailer tells us, in text and a wordless montage of vignettes, that Tully is about the drudgery of motherhood, then teases that someone named Tully enters the life of the put-upon mom. I literally have no clue what this movie is really about. I had to look up the plot description on IMDb, where I learned it's about a mother who is "gifted a night nanny" and they form "a unique bond." Great. I still have no idea even what kind of a movie it is. Is the nanny a psychopath, like the one in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle? Is she magical and practically perfect in every way, like Mary Poppins? Is she Tully's ex-husband in drag, like Mrs. Doubtfire? All I can tell, even from the longer trailers, is that it will show me how tough it is to be a mom. I don't need a uterus or a movie to tell me that. I already believe it. I need to know that something goes on in this movie other than diaper changing. The only other thing I have to go on here is that it's from the writer/director team that made Juno, which is promising, and Young Adult, which cancels out the Juno points (along with Ricki and the Flash and Labor Day).

LIFE OF THE PARTY @@ (I probably won’t see this)

While brushing her teeth one night, Melissa McCarthy decides to trash a bunch of her personal belongings, set them on fire, and go back to college where she joins her daughter's sorority and tries to be young again. It's hard to believe they actually put such a nonsensical setup in the trailer. Makes it look like no thought was put into the movie. From the writer-director team that failed to wow anyone with Tammy. On the other hand, I’ve twice seen a trailer for McCarthy’s next movie, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, due out in October, and it’s probably one of the movies I’m most looking forward to this year.

BREAKING IN @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Panic Room. The House at the End of the Street. The Strangers. The Strangers: Prey at Night. Straw Dogs (2011). The Purge. And so on. Somehow this one just doesn't seem to have that extra something that made me want to see, say, last month's Traffik.

BOOK CLUB @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Four of the most famous women in AARP navigate easy and obvious laughs trying to prove senior citizens can do raunchy Viagra comedy when their libidos are reignited by turning off The View and reading Fifty Shades of Grey. Not a match for the genuinely funny elderly raunch found in Dirty Grandpa.

DEADPOOL 2 @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Round two for the self-parodying superhero. I found the first one just as tiring as all the other Marvel movies, but with the occasional quip to break up the monotony. Never got wrapped up in the character's journey. (But I do love the Flashdance-inspired poster.)

FIRST REFORMED @@ (I probably won’t see this)

Ethan Hawke is a troubled preacher wallowing in the grief of losing his son until a parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) comes to him with a bigger problem. Apparently her husband might be some sort of terrorist, and at one point two people levitate. Writer/director Paul Schrader hasn't exactly been fulfilling the promise, in this century, of his early career, and here he's decided to shoot in 1.33:1 and cast Cedric the Entertainer in a supporting role. Normally I'd just wait to see this on TV, but I don't own a 4:3 television set anymore.

BEAST @@ (I probably won’t see this)

A slow cooker about a young woman who falls for a dangerous outsider. Looks impressive, but seems to be missing some key plot ingredient to hold it all together.

ANYTHING @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

A widower falls in love with a transgender person, and if you dare not find this intensely heartwarming, you’re so not woke.

THE SEAGULL @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

Based on the Chekhov play, looks like something that was pulled off a dusty shelf due to the recent rise in popularity of Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) and Elizabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale). Also features Billy Howle, who hooks up with Ronan again this month in On Chesil Beach (scroll up), which looks more promising.

SHOW DOGS @ (no intention of seeing this, ever)

I feel like time was stolen from me just from watching the trailer.