#yukinojou reads

[yukinojou]

2024 reading roundup

Very up and down year reading-wise, but I've managed my 100 books. Some, especially at the beginning of the year and while doing my Hugo packet reading, were novellas, but the total is apparently a 300+ page average.

Bounced off of only one Hugo best novel nomination, which is also the one that ended up winning, but lately I've been really repelled by dystopian narratives. I'm drawn to smaller-scale non-worldsaving stuff, which is why I enjoyed Vivian Shaw's Greta Helsing novels (such a love letter to the Gothic) and Nghi Vo's On the Fox Roads. Give me the stories where saving just one life is worth it. Or getting justice for one - some excellent crime novels this year including the Hilary Tamar series and the Julian Kestrel novels, as well as J.M. Alvey's Philocles series, which wins extra points for excellent Ancient Greece mores and setting details. (Which is really what I wanted from books this year, total immersion. It's not been as bad a year as 2023, but it was definitely a recovery and transitional one.)

Singularly novel and excellent stuff that expanded my brain: Moniquill Blackgoose's To Shape A Dragon's Breath, Aliette de Bodard's Navigational Entanglements, and a nonfiction book - Salt: A History.

This year, I finally moved to Storygraph as of yesterday - add me there if you want to. Mostly because to hell with Bezos, though I also like the more detailed review structure.

(First book of the year was @xiranjayzhao Heavenly Tyrant which yes, is as absorbing as the first one - hello six hours straight of reading on January 1st - and levels up in texture and reflexion and plot layers the way a good sequel should, on top of Xiran's way to keep the stakes both gigantic and deeply personal in a way that doesn't feel dystopian no matter how dark it goes. The ending is A+++ and I can't wait for #3.)

Goals for this year: actually less reading - I have a watching backlist a mile long, nice yarn and patterns to knit, calligraphy to practice, quilting to learn, and writing to do. More nonfiction. Definitely more stuff that isn't in English - got French and German books picked out already and may venture back to Russian as well. Sign up for the library finally, because they just upgraded their systems and finally do ebooks.

[the-himawari]

A3! Citron - Translation [SR] Bright Star of Blooming (2/2)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

---

Azuma: That reminds me, Itaru was saying something earlier backstage.

Itaru: Ahh… no, I was just gonna say when I try to look back at this performance, a lot of tough times come to mind.

Homare: We encountered a good number of vocabulary we were not familiar with, isn’t that right? I, myself, have watched kabuki a handful of times. However, actually performing it ourselves posed a whole new frontier of difficulty.

Itaru: Right, right. I recall Citron had a particularly tough time.

Citron: Yes. But I love kabuki as an artform. I also understand Sahul’s anguish very well. That’s why it was difficult, but also fun! I am sure I was able to overcome it because I had those feelings of love. It was also memorable going with everyone to watch kabuki together.

Azuma: Oh, yes. We went to watch one both before and after the performance, didn’t we?

Itaru: Yeah, that surprised me. Like somehow, there were enough tickets for all of us—.

Homare: Azuma-san procured them for us, wasn’t that right?

Citron: There's Azuma’s mysterious connections and financial powers!

Azuma: I didn’t do anything special. And besides, that was necessary for us at that time.

Citron: The kabuki show I saw after we did our play felt different than usual. Perhaps because I performed one myself, my perspective changed.

Itaru: Same here. We might’ve felt that way all the more since we had more knowledge about kabuki after taking a crack at it ourselves.

Homare: How very peculiar. Often times, when we watch something to prepare for a role, it will be reflected in our acting. However, I suppose the opposite can also be true.

Azuma: Exactly. That’s why it was a necessary expense, wouldn’t you agree? I had a great time. It’s a nice memory for me as well. I’d love to go with all of you again.

-pause-

Izumi: Have you decided on your pose, Citron-kun?

Citron: Leave it all to me!

Izumi: Okay, I’m taking it then. Say cheese.

*click*

Izumi: …Huh? Citron-kun, your smile here looks…

Citron: Yamato Nadeshiko* sometimes smiles sweetly and seductively, right? This gap will make everyone fall head over heels!

Izumi: I feel like there were so many things off about what he just said… But you’re right about the gap!

Citron: That was so fun~. I feel like I will have a pleasant dream tonight.

Izumi: Fufu, thank you for your work today.

*dream starts*

Citron: This is… (This brings back memories… I also practiced a lot of forward somersaults back then.)

Sahul: Phew!

Citron: (Is that… Sahul? What should I do? Should I call out to him—)

Sahul: Master? …Or perhaps not? My apologies. Who might you be?

Citron: Well, let us say… I am someone who knows you very well.

Sahul: Me…! I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to recall… your name is…

Citron: I only know you one-sidedly. It is not a surprise you are not acquainted with me. I see you are working hard to practice your forward somersaults. That is wonderful~.

Sahul: But I’m no match for my master. Nor anyone else. All I can do here is try my best.

Citron: Sahul…

Sahul: Ah, I’m sorry. My hands are rough, so—.

Citron: (He was so admirable I couldn’t help but take his hand… but it’s covered in scars.) <…Yukinojou isn’t a genius either. He is certainly working himself desperately to the bone, just like you are.> <So don’t give up.>

Sahul: What was that?

Citron: I said I hope you will keep up the good work.

Sahul: …I will! I'll do more training. And then l'll deliver this world of kabuki to people all around.

Citron: I will be looking forward to it.

*dream ends*

Citron: … (…So that was a dream after all.)

-pause-

Azuma: Say, Citron. Would you like to go watch another kabuki show together? I have an urge to go after the talk show.

Citron: Count me in! If we go, I want to stop and shop at the kabuki merch store. Is that okay?

Azuma: That’s fine by me. But what are you looking to buy?

Citron: I want a DVD. They converted a kabuki show I watched before onto disc. I want to send one to Zafra. (In my dream, Sahul told me he wants to show kabuki to lots of people everywhere.) (Even though it was my own dream, I was happy that we shared the same feelings.) (I’d like them to know about the beautiful sight I saw back then.)

Azami: To Zafra… for your younger brothers?

Citron: That is right. …Will they dislike it?

Azuma: Fufu. Nonsense. They will absolutely love it.

Citron: (I hope that they too will be able to learn about this beautiful world through kabuki.) (If only such a day would come—. But for now, I will look forward to that time.)

---

*Yamato Nadeshiko is a Japanese term meaning the "personification of an idealized Japanese woman." 

previous |

[squidspawn]

bureaucracy fic rec list

Because I think its very fun when fictional characters have to do paperwork, taxes, & other assorted nonsense.

Space Taxes by @unpretty, Star Wars

Summary:

Lando and Han can't get divorced. For tax reasons.

Comment: Absolutely beautiful meta for the purpose of Space Tax Fraud, such a treat XD

PRojects IN Controlled Environments, version Sith by @yukinojou, Star Wars

Summary:

The overworked project manager on the redesign of the Imperial Lambda-class shuttle gets surprisingly competent feedback from an unknown official on Coruscant. She promptly decides that anyone bored enough to do a technical review of their own free will should be found proper employment for their own good. Her correspondent has been missing the opportunity to tinker with machinery. It gives him something to do between hunting down rebels.

Comment: Have you ever had to work with engineers? then this is the fic for you. Utterly delightful, cannot recommend enough.

Selected Citations from Motions in Limine Filed in U.S. v. McCormick (C.D. Cal. 2019) (unpublishable) by cosmogyral, Ace Attorney

Summary:

“Federal court?” Phoenix said, blankly, for the third time, and this time, Edgeworth, sounding distinctly less sympathetic, said, “Surely you’ve heard of it.”

Comment: Ngl my favorite Ace Attorney fic, the trial shenanigans both capture and balance the hijinks of an actual trial AND an ace attorney game which I think is a masterstroke of brilliance

Heroics: Not Just Punching People Into Buildings, Apparently by @stifledlaughterao3, Boku no Hero Academia

Summary:

"In today's practical test, you all will grapple with one of the worst aspects of being a hero," announced Present Mic to class 1-A. "Paperwork!" --- Sometimes, hero work isn't about capturing villains. It's about trying not to cry on the phone to the insurance agent after being on hold for an hour when they tell you that their company only accepts faxed forms.

Comment: Absolutely perfect. Fits perfectly with that early bnha vibe while also channeling the frustration of anyone who's ever had to deal with bureaucracy ever. Nice to read with a cup of tea after dealing with an insurance company for that sweet schadenfreude.

Feel free to add your own favorite fics!

[squidthoughts]

hey that plot in tim burton's alice in wonderland where alice obtains the vorpal sword and slays the jabberwock.....like fuck dude that slapped actually. like that was really really cool. my memories of that movie feel like a fever dream but i do recall this occurrence. also i want to direct your attention to @yukinojou 's most excellent fic about THE Alice and Susan Pevensie that I read a few years ago and have never ever forgotten. concepts that altered my brain chemistry i think

[batangtamad]

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (Anime)

Genres: Comedy, Shoujo

Episodes: 25

Favorite Character: Sunako Nakahara

Favorite Quote: "There are times when alone is the best place to be."

Favorite Episodes: Episode 1, Episode 3, Episode 9, Episode 21, and Episode 24

Plot Synopsis: Ever since her crush rejected her by insulting her appearance, Sunako Nakahara has been a shut-in with a hatred for beauty, embracing all things morbid and occult-related. She is sent to live in her aunt's mansion, which, to her dismay, she'll share with four exceedingly handsome boys her age. Furthermore, her flighty aunt has made a deal with these boys that in exchange for living there rent-free, they are to turn Sunako into a proper lady by the time she returns from a trip around the world.

Thus begins Sunako's hectic life with abrasive Kyohei Takano, ladies' man Ranmaru Morii, calm Takenaga Oda, and friendly Yukinojo Toyama. As she interacts with them, she finds them less obnoxious, and she may not be as much of an outcast as she thought. (MAL)

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge is a rom-com. Every episode is hilarious and the characters are so handsome and pretty.

Sunako is not pretty at first because of her unkept long bangs, and dry skins. But she is really beautiful, and strong. So strong that she can carry Kyouhei and she can even fight. She doesn't have self-confidence because she was rejected by her crush and was told she was ugly. It traumatized her. The word "ugly" is taboo for her. Despite her weird hobby and looks, her family loves and cares for her.

On the other hand, Kyouhei is too handsome. In fact, too handsome that who ever saw him will instantly fall in love with him, except for a few people who are his family (Sunako, his parents, housemate, Noi, and Tamao). Because of his good looks, he experienced a lot of sexual harassment. Worst, his mom hated and wanted him to disappear because his mom had to stop people from harassing them at their house and got fed up. Kyouhei can be rude, harsh, straightforward, but he can be caring, be there to save Sunako, and he is a big eater.

Sunako and Kyouhei are opposite and yet the same to each other. They have different personalities, but they both had traumatic experiences and were complex in their looks. That may be also the reason why they trust and allow each other to be straight forward. They may fight and yell at each other a lot, but they still save each other from danger.

The side couples, Takenaga and Noi are so cute together. Takenaga make looks like a playboy, but he is serious and really cares about Noi. He just has no experience in being in a relationship; that's why he is awkward in explaining his feelings.

Ranmaru is a playboy. He has a lot of girlfriends and when he finally has someone he likes, he isn't sure if he really likes her or not. Tamao is Ranmaru's fiance that his parents arranged. Tamao is not Ranmaru's type. He likes girls who are not innocent. Though, I think for sure that he will fall for Tamao and I can't wait to see it. However, the anime series only has 1 season, so it wasn't included there yet.

Yukinojou is the cutest boy. He really looks like a girl because of his eyes and his height. He also looks beautiful when he crosses dressed. He doesn't like cross-dressing, but he is always the one getting cross dressed. Well, whether he cross dressed or not, he is still the cutest and that is his charm.

The animation is really adorable. Though, it is a little weird, especially when they are either naked or half naked. Weird, but good at the same time since they are hot and sexy. I just didn't expect it. Wished there was another season, as the ending is unsatisfying. I was expecting to see Kyouhei fall in love with Sunako and vice versa. Unfortunately, it wasn't shown here. I haven't read the manga series yet, but I saw it was still tagged as ongoing. So, I'm having a second thought on whether to read it since I know for sure I will want more.

[dailyjidols]

March 2022 Monthly News Round-Up

It’s round-up time! Below the read more is a compilation of some notable news stories that we haven’t previously posted about.

This month features, many idols returning to activities, trouble for Nogizaka46, the long awaited third unit of Sashihara Rino,and always more!

A Quick Note from Mod Rise: I typically put together these news features and so I'm no longer going to be adding news about idols contracting COVID. It's emotionally draining and takes too much time to keep updated on. Thanks in advance for your understanding and on to other news!

Hinatazaka46

Member Nao Kosaka has resumed activities with the group after her long hiatus due to poor condition. [x*]

Juice=Juice

Member Manaka Inaba announced she will graduate from the group on Mary 30th. [x*]

Last Idol

The group has announced that they will end their activities as a unit on May 31st. They have cited COVID has a large factor. Their first album will be released in April. [x*]

LinQ

Sakura Araki has announced that she will be graduating in August. She will be moving to focus her efforts as a member of IQ Project - which LinQ also works with. [x*]

Little Glee Monster

Member Manaka has gone hiatus due to sudden loss of hearing. [x*]

the mishmash

All the current members will be graduating from the group on April 24th. [x*]

NMB48

Member Shion Hori was diagnosed with acute pericarditis earlier this month. She will be avoiding events with strenuous exercise while getting treatment. [x*]

Nogizaka46

Member Aruno Nakanishi will be refraining from activities, despite having only joined the group last month and being the center for the new single. Old messages, which contain ablist posts, racism, and misogynistic posts among others including but not limited to ‘obscene’ images surfaced. Please research and confirm for yourself at your own discrettion. [x*]

Ocha Norma

The group has announced they will be debuting in July of 2022. [x*]

PUNKY RAD PINK

The group is disbanding, but potentially going to reboot at some time. [x*]

RED-i

Members Kaho, Natsumi, and Elu have announced that they will graduate the group on April 28th. Kaho will remain with the company and be in a new group. [x*]

SKE48

Member Ayaka Okamoto has taken a break from the group. No announcement of when she will return to activities. [x*]

Tacoyaki Rainbow

The group have discarded their plans to start a new project. The five members of the former lineup, who graduated last May, will now focus on individual activities. [x*]

Yumemiru Adolescence

The group has announced that they have added six new members to their line up. [x*]

Wings of Artemis

The new members, Perseus Tsukasa (ex-Banzai Japan), Aquarisu Iori (ex-Aiiro Asterism), and Cassipeia Kiara (transferred from Momograci), Hermes Mizuki (former member), will join or re-join the group on March 26th. [x*]

Zenbu Kimi no Sei Da.

Member Amnechi An and Yukinojou Oyatsu will be leaving the group after their April 3rd performance. [x*]

WACK & SCRAMBLES

The WACK Addition has come to a close. WAgg member Rina Star and Tantan will be joining GANG PARADE’s current line up. Former HKT48 member, Ayuna C, now going by Ayuna C and Kanaedemon will be joining ASP. [x*]

≠ME

Member Momo Sakurai returned to activities in March. [x*]

≒JOY / Nearly Equals Joy

The sister group to =LOVE and ≠ME has been revealed. [x*]

[brilliantyears]

22 in 2022

Rules! Choose 22 books you want to read or goals you want to achieve in 2022. That’s it! It can be a mix of books and goals, or 22 books, or 22 goals…. it’s up to you. Then tag some friends to play along.  

I was tagged by @sendme-2hell, thank you!

I tried very hard to put books other than sci-fi on the list but... lol. Also these are in no particular order (except for number one)

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (fucking obviously)

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

Seven of Infinities by Aliette de Bodard

You Feel it Just Below the Ribs by Janina Matthewson & Jeffrey Cranor (after months my copy finally arrived!!)

The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

Books of the Raksura trilogy by Martha Wells

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Mijn lieve gunsteling by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers (sequel to A Psalm for the Wild-Built)

In the Serpent's Wake by Rachel Hartman (sequel to Tess of the Road)

Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh (make a start, at least)

The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold (make a start, at least)

tagging @yukinojou, @transratsactivist, @comeauch and whoever else wants to do it!

[thatsaweirdwaytospellundead]

Senribana Monogatari 3/11

Summary: Due to Citron’s work as the Zahran Minister of Culture and Arts there has been a surge in interest in foreign culture in Zahra. Prince Tangerine gives his brother a call, but it seems he has more on his mind than just an invitation..

Note: This event references a popular Japanese fairytale titled “The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Blossom”, I encourage you to read it here!

This is a 10 part story with an epilogue.

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] [part 9] [part 10]

Epilogue “The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Blossom”

Citron   

So you’re saying the script is really done?!

Sakuya   

I’m looking forward to it!

Izumi   

Wait wait, we gotta wait for everyone else to get here—

Itaru   

Otsu~

Homare   

You called?

Hisoka   

..... *munch munch*

Azuma   

We got quite the lineup here.

Izumi   

Okay, everyone’s here. Let’s hand out the scripts now.

Thanks to our second act off with God Troupe and our other act off with the first generation, our popularity has skyrocketed.

Our individual members have also gained a lot of attention lately and I think we can use this new *+found popularity to our advantage.

So with that said, I was thinking why not feature the four members who haven’t been in plays lately for this performance?

Itaru   

Oh, to get their popularity up.

Azuma   

And that’s why you called us four.

Citron   

There is unexpected wood in what others have left behind!

Tsuzuru   

UNEXPECTED GOOD!

Anyway, per the director’s request I wrote the play with six parts.

In addition, I took Citron’s request and made the play Kabuki themed.

The story is about a protagonist who journeys across the sea and soon finds himself thrown into the world of Kabuki. It is his story of growth as he learns about the traditional Japanese art form.

The role of the protagonist, Sahul, will be Citron. We also have Sahul’s teacher, an onnagata named Yukinojou—

Azuma   

Is that me?

Izumi   

Onnagata, as in a man in Kabuki who plays female roles. If you want a man who embodies elegance and sensuality there is no one better suited for that than our very own Azuma!

Tsuzuru   

Whenever I see Yukishiro on stage I can’t help but notice how the audience’s eyes seem to be drawn to  him. Not to mention I always feel he has a very unique aura about him.

How I imagined it is, Sahul is enchanted by Yukinojou at first sight. So Yukinojou is the character that motivates Sahul to throw himself into the world of Kabuki. 

Itaru   

Damn, that’s some strong power.

Azuma   

Fufu, that is not something completely out of my scope of expertise. Even though the bar seems pretty high, I will do my best.

Izumi   

YEAH!

Tsuzuru   

And for you, Itaru, I was thinking you would be good for the part of Yukinojou’s rival and partner on stage, Matsunosuke.

Sakuya   

Now that I think about it, Itaru and Azuma have great chemistry side-by-side on stage, good choice!

Izumi   

And for Sahul’s dance teacher, Fujisaka, played by Homare. He is a man with only the most graceful of movements, perfect for Homare.

Homare   

Hmm, are you talking about Buyo, the traditional Japanese art of mixing dance with pantomiming? That’s quite an interesting topic.

And Sakuya gets the role of the shamisen player, Ogino. I was thinking back to our Quartet play where you prepared a lot for your cello part so I thought a role like this would be a perfect match for your skillset.

Sakuya   

I’ll do my best!

Tsuzuru   

And for Sahul’s rival, a man by the name of Fukumaru who is skilled in somersaults, I was thinking of Hisoka. When it comes to somersaults and just overall flexibility, I thought Hisoka would be the perfect fit.

Hisoka   

....Somersaults?

Citron   

Oh! So we got some somersaults in the play?!

Tsuzuru   

There are some in the action scenes yes. I was thinking it would be a nice addition if Hisoka was going to be in the play.

Well, going back to Citron’s character, Sahul. I have the practice scene with him written, but not the final scene.

Izumi   

This is not something to take lightly, we wanted to avoid any risk of injury.

Citron   

Ohh well if we’re doing that, I wanna do the mambo.

Itaru   

You’re talking about something entirely different now.

Tsuzuru   

That’s quite the hurdle in our performance so we need to make sure not to overdo it in practice.

Citron   

Wow this is gonna be some top notch play with all these high specs.

Tsuzuru   

Speak for yourself.

Citron   

If we can pull off the acrobatics in the final scene, I am sure it will get the crowd excited! I want to show off our kills to the people of Zahra!

Itaru   

That’s “skills”.

Izumi   

..... We must make absolute sure we do not injure ourselves, that is our top priority.

Citron   

I understand, but it’s just I want to do everything.

Even if it seems impossible with our current skills now, I think with a little hard work, maybe we can pull it off. I don’t want to give up without at least giving it a shot.

Hisoka   

.... Citron will be here to make sure I do not overexert myself.

Izumi   

Alright. If it seems to difficult, we will just cut it from the performance. We must make sure not to over stress ourselves.

Citron   

Promise!

Tsuzuru   

Yeah, I can always rewrite the somersault scene.

Citron   

We’ll show you we can get five air somersaults!

Tsuzuru   

That’s waaay too much!

Citron   

“Please, take me under your wing!”

Azuma   

“Huh..?”

Itaru   

“Hey you, it says ‘No unauthorised personnel allowed’.”

Azuma   

“It’s alright. I want to hear what he has to say.”

Izumi   

(Hmm, it’s just the first day of practice but I can already feel the personality of each of the characters coming to life. I don’t think we’ll have a problem capturing each character’s essence.

It’s just I can see Citron, Azuma, and Itaru seem to be struggling with some of the Kabuki vocabulary..

And not to mention the pressure is all on Citron as the lead.

We have quite a lot in this play; tons of dialogue, Kabuki themes, shamisen, Japanese Buyo, and not to mention the acrobatics as well.

In the beginning, it seems as though Sahul is at a disadvantage because of his foreign origins. However as the story progresses, he begins to show his true talents the more he learns..

This isn’t an easy role to play, Citron will have to put everything he has into it. No matter how you look at it, Citron has quite a large burden on him.)

.. What do you say about trying out just the somersault or shamisen parts?

Citron   

Sure. I will show you I have already perfected everything.

Sakuya  

I understand your worries, director, but it is only the first practice. Would you mind just giving us a little more time to study? Please!

Izumi   

..... That’s true, sorry for asking so soon. I shouldn’t be rushing.

(I guess I just feel a lot of pressure since this is such a high stakes performace.)

I just gotta hang on and believe that everyone can pull this off together.)

Citron   

....

.. a-ack. oww this is dangerous. I dropped my phone on my face.

Oh, good, I didn’t wake Sakuya. Good night.

Sakuya  

.......

To be continued... Read part 4 here!

[fantranslatorbychoice]

Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi Volume 6 Intermission 2 - Akatsuki, and a Letter from Utsushiyo

T/N: Heck yeah it's time for the two spider siblings to shine lol we haven't heard from Suzuran for a while now, well, spoiler alert she has left Kakuriyo and hasn't appeared yet since Volume 1 ended, or in the anime when she chose to live on someone's grave. *cough, Shirou, cough* Well, I guess that’s just that. I hope you enjoy reading this short one.

Also if you like this translation, you can heart it, share the link, reblog, I just respectfully ask that DO NOT REPOST ELSEWHERE. This is my contribution to the scant English content of this fandom, and I worked really hard to finish this thing, it’s not like I just copy-pasted everything. I even had to build the kanji in Jisho one by one. Try it and you’ll see what I mean.You can rave about this, rant about this, but if possible please link back to this page. If you’re unsure how to do that, just copy the web address of this page. If you’re on a blogsite just insert the web address as a hyperlink as a link back to here. Honestly if this light novel was officially-published in English, I wouldn’t even be doing this right now... And if it did, I’d take this offline to support the publishers and Yuuma-sensei. Creators support creators, is what I believe in. As previously-mentioned in earlier chapters, if you stumbled upon this one, the two seasons of the anime covered volumes 1-5, so other than the extra details, you didn’t miss much stuff.

OK Here we go-- P148 "Thank you for coming to Tenjin-ya, we look forward to seeing you again." I am an earth spider, a Tsuchigumo named Akatsuki. I am Tenjin-ya's head receptionist. The waitresses and the Gesokuban** has sent off the final guest for today with a smile, and my work as the head receptionist has ended. The moment that the last guest gets sent off, I always breathe a sigh of relief. The front desk's work ended before evening, and the day before the entire inn is closed on a break, we all soak in the feeling of liberation. The young Ogre bellboys were shouting "It's rest day! It's rest day!" and were running around the front desk. The Bake-Tanuki Gesokuban Chiaki-san gathered the ogre bellboys together and assembled in the lobby, and called them one by one in sequential order. Many of the ogre children were orphans, and not only does Tenjin-ya go beyond in providing them work, but also the day before the inn closes for a break, apart from their salaries they also receive a bit of pocket money, and the very first in the line gets freed off from work. "Alright you lot, return to your dormitories like adults, so you won't cause any trouble during work." "OK-- Gesokubanchou**-sama!" As the ogre kids were lining up one by one, Chiaki-san encouraged them to return to their dormitories quietly. "If you run your pocket money gets forfeited. Oh, and greet the head receptionist too." T/N: Gesokuban= doornan, in charge of the guests' footwear. Sorta like bellboys too. Gesokubanchou=head of the doormen P149 "OK--. Goodbye, Bantou-sama!" "Ohhhh..." It's impossible for me to take care of those brats... It must be difficult to be in charge of the footwear. It's better to be a receptionist. "Whew, it's finally over. Ah, Akatsuki, after this, won't  you come with me to Gintengai to have some drinks?" After sending off the ogre children back to their dorms, Chiaki-san called up. He always has this soft smile and voice with a subservient attitude, but he is my sempai as he started a bit earlier than me in working for Tenjin-ya. Among the management staff he is the most recent to join, and considerably has a lot of assigned duties and tasks. "Oh, but tonight you're also going to Aoi-san's place to have dinner, don't you?" "No. Apparently today only the girls got together, they seemed to be having a weird meeting or something." "That's also what Kasuga said. She says that Aoi-san is very friendly to everyone in Tenjin-ya. Ah, Waka-danna sama, are you free tonight? If it's fine with you, would you like to go out and have a drink with me?" "Oh, that sounds nice, Chiaki." Chiaki-san also called up Waka-danna sama. It's weird that he's up for it. Chiaki-san, he seems to have an air of softness and limpness that I don't have, and sometimes I don't think he's appropriate for the reception desk. But the person in question is, among the management staff is said to be the number one outlier with having the position of Gesokubanchou, as he said previously that he likes his job. T/N: Bantou=head receptionist P150 "Ah, uhm... Akatsuki-sama, Chiaki-sama, Ginji-sama.." "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" "If it's fine with you, would you want to go out and have fun with us?" There were three waitresses, they seem to choose at their own discretion when to talk to us. Lately, I have been invited to go out a lot. But for me, I want to get some rest on a rest day. "That sounds nice. But tomorrow I'm called to go back home to my parents' house. I hope you can invite me next time." Chiaki-san rubbed the back of his head, he seemed to be used to it by now and was resolute. Waka-danna sama seemed to be puzzled by the invitation, and flatly refused by saying "I too, have other scheduled appointments." I just decided and told them "That's a no-go" because it's too much of a hassle. "Oh, I see..." It's easy to understand that the waitresses got disappointed as their shoulders went down. "If that's so, then are you free the next time the inn closes for a break?" "Uhm...." The waitresses weren't discouraged. Why did Chiaki-san and Waka-danna sama looked at me over here? At most, you're always free and going out during resting days, it seems. Are you pranking the kouhai? "Hey, wait a minute you lot. Tomorrow the famous Kabuki lead actor named Yukinojou from Youto is coming to the Kabuki Troupe in Kimon**. T/N: Apparently this is what 鬼門 reads so I apologize if I wrote it as Onimon before, I was too much of a dumbass to correct everything oh well at least I learned it before finishing this volume lol P151 You're going out with those guys? You'll just keep screeching and screaming out." Suddenly, O-ryo appeared behind us. The waitresses seemed to lap up what O-ryo brought about, and went "Really?--" "You're kidding, is that true O-ryo?" "I have to check the bulletin board!" "Yukinojou-sama--!" Just a while ago they were disheartened and now they went off somewhere. The girls' high-pitched voices were ringing out, and they didn't even look back as they left us. "As expected of you, O-ryo san. You saved us." Waka-danna sama gratefully spoke to O-ryo, but she just raised an eyebrow and laughed at us. "You three, you were targetted by the waitresses. Among the management staff, you had the lowest difficulty levels. You got cornered, weren't you?" "Is that praise or is that disdain?" "Akatsuki, I saved you, you could at least thank me for it." O-ryo pointed her finger at me, and forced me to say thank you to her. She's surely shameless, an impatient and distasteful woman. P152 "O-ryo sama!" It's the Bake-Tanuki waitress, Kasuga has come and pulled the bottom of O-ryo's kimono. "Let's go now to Yugao. Aoi-chan's waiting." "OK, OK. Those group of single guys seem to be going out for drinks, but aren't we going to a glitzy girls' night-out? Awww, what a pity, you can't go with us--, you have no means to--" "O-ryo sama. They're also having that in secret. It's the same level as ours." As expected of Kasuga to point that out. She's merely a waitress, but her wit and cleverness is effective, and she is a hard-working Tanuki girl. I also unintentionally asked her to do errands and what not here and there. "Ah..." Kasuga turned her head towards us again, but stopped whatever she was about to say.. No, not really, but when she looked at us, it seemed that she looked at Chiaki-san who was beside us. Chiaki-san didn't seem to move a bit, but he just lazily smiled.

Inside Gintengai, the riverside were lined up with food carts, and it was the busiest corner. It was the place were middle-aged men gathered after work before returning home. The fowl grilling place had three open seats, and we each ordered our favorite liquor and had them heated and poured for us**. "Ahh, it's nice to have some barbecued fowl every now and then in these food carts." T/N: Yeah I know it's weird but sake or rice liquor is actually drunk either warmed up or at room temperature, I don't know why though, maybe to help the alcohol evaporate IDK because normally beers and wines are chilled then served, but hey, it is what it is lol. Also I just translated the fowl, or poultry from the generic term 鳥=tori because it can range from chicken to duck to turkey to exotic birds like guinea fowls and peahens. Like the offal hot pot, we can only guess what they were grilling here. I'd call duck and chicken lol P153 "Yeah, I agree. Waka-danna sama, whenever you're free you always go to Yugao, don't you? Every now and then let's get together, please?" "Yes, well, I'm here now, am I?" After seeing that the Waka-danna sama seems to be in good spirits, Chiaki-san requested to the Oyaji** "Ah, I'll have the chicken wings and scallion skewers. Everything plain salted." "I'll... Have the gizzards with scallions, plain salted, as well as some liver with dipping sauce, please." "I'll have the parson's nose** and some chicken meatloaf, with the skin. With dipping sauce." While the liquor bottles were being heated, we had a chat. The barbecued chicken that they were cooking soon gave off a delicious smell. "To be honest, it was a good thing that Waka-danna sama has returned to Tenjin-ya. During the time that Waka-danna sama was away, Tenjin-ya was in trouble. Akatsuki, somehow everyday acts like a little girlfriend running around saying 'We need you Waka-danna sama, please come hooome--'. That image has been burned inside my head." "What?" "Wait, Chiaki-san!" Well, the Waka-danna sama's usual workload isn't run of the mill, it's like it left a void. However suprised the Waka-danna sama looked, his blank face looked at mine. "Uhm.. That is..Somehow, the front desk's work is sustained by the Waka-danna sama, and I happened to experience that personally." T/N: Oyaji=usually the dude who owns the establishment, they normally cook and grill and stuff. Their waifus handle the cashiers. Also srsly these dudes know their fowl well, especially Akatsuki. I mean, chicken butt/parson's nose is full of that fatty cholesterol-filled goodness, as well as the skin wahhh now I want some of these too T__T P154 I was muttering my embarassing thoughts as my greasy sweat overflowed. That busy time has been pardoned already... speaking of, when the grilled skewers were done, I ate them hungrily. Ah, even the cartilage tastes good. "Akatsuki... It's unfortunate to have experienced those troubles, wasn't it?" "Ehrmm.. yeah." Waka-danna sama seemed to have gotten quiet, and I was so embarassed I couldn't say anything. I drank the sake bit by bit. "Well, anyways.. Waka-danna sama is awesome though. It's because while planning activities and managing Tenjin-ya, you were also said to be assigned to the internal affairs of Kimon. You were also looking after anything that troubles the Odanna-sama's fiancee. If it was me I couldn't handle it. I already find it hard just taking care of the ogre kids." While Chiaki-san was talking, the topic shifted to Aoi. "Ah, ahahaha. I wasn't looking after Aoi-san, I just let her do what she wanted, I think that's the right thing to do.. And because Aoi-san is a dependable person, it came to the extent that she helped me. Even now, with the souvenir products that Tenjin-ya asked Dr. Saraku to make, she's still doing her best to help with it, it seems... She's really awesome." Waka-danna seemed to have remembered something, and silently laughed, before ordering another bottle of sake. That guy, isn't he a bit harsh... P155 "I don't normally work with Aoi-san so I don't understand but, she's somewhat special, that granddaughter of Shirou's." "Yes, that is, Aoi-san is an amazing person. Aoi-san's cooking. Say Akatsuki. Somehow in the beginning Akatsuki was harsh with Aoi-san, but now you're part of the Yugao gang, aren't you?" "Eh? No, uhm...." "Oh, you're pausing with your words, you're hesitating. You weren't objecting that time, Akatsuki.." "..." Someday, when you make fun of me again, I'll be prepared. But, I need to think how can I deal with this now... When these guys bring up that topic again after a while, I'll change to make quick and sleek comebacks. "Certainly I go eat Aoi's cooking since it's a great way to end the working day, but compared to me, O-ryo goes there to a greater extent, doesn't she? To think that she tried killing Aoi before!" "Ah, ahaha. For sure, O-ryo san has now become less snappy and harsh... She goes to Yugao and pesters Aoi-san a lot. After that Kasuga-san also goes a lot to Yugao too." After that, instantly, it seems that Waka-danna sama remembered a lot of things about O-ryo and Kasuga. "Speaking of Kasuga-san, until now she still calls O-ryo as O-ryo sama? Even though she has already lost the position of Waka-Okami she still calls her as such." P156 "It's because Kasuga likes O-ryo. It's because ever since Kasuga started working in Tenjin-ya, she always bothered O-ryo san to look after her because she doesn't know anything." "Really, is that so? Isn't Kasuga-san and Chiaki relatives?" "Uhm, yes, yes we are..." Good, the topic has changed smoothly. Being tipsy, Waka-danna sama and Chiaki-san started talking about Kasuga and O-ryo. I was relieved, and added an order of thighs and chicken meatloaf from Oyaji. I really love meatloaf... "Oh, right, Chiaki-san, aren't you about to say something about that Kasuga?" When I asked him about it, Chiaki-san's face got all stiff for a moment. It was weird, for that person to have that face. But immediately after that, his usual sloppy face went back. "Ah, it's probably due to tomorrow's stuff." "Tomorrow?" "Tomorrow, we have to go back home. Also, it's something important." Oh, it's true, because they were going back home, he didn't lie to the girls when he was invited. But it's weird how he said it. Could it be that he doesn't want to go back home? P157 "Isn't Waka-danna sama going back to Orio-ya?" "What, why?" "But that's what going home means, right? When you don't have a village to go back to. Don't you have an older brother?" Waka-danna sama only waved his hands in front of him, with regards to Chiaki-san's unsophisticated question.

“No, no, that, uhm.. Right now it's a bother to go home. Right, Akatsuki?" "Why is the conversation swayed to me?" When it comes to a home, I have no such place. I have been born and raised in Utsushiyo, my only living relative is in there right now, my younger sister... "That much- How is my nose stupid?" In an instant, the drunk and wasted middle-aged Tengu nearby started making a racket, and he hit me with a hot sake bottle by mistake. "..." What the heck is this? As I was staring fixatedly, I got lost in time. While looking at the Tengu who got caught in the moment, my former boss Hatori-san, the current head receptionist of our rival inn, and previously when the Tengus became violent in the front desk I recalled the memories, and I got angry. I wanted to tear out all of the feathers of the middle-aged Tengu, but Waka-danna sama and Chiaki-san P158 pacified me "Woah, woah there, Akatsuki", and nevertheless I peacefully settled down. I went back to drinking in desperation. When the other sempai noticed it they just start talking. It’s mainly due to Hatori-san. A lot of things happened, and the night grew late.

"Tch, I drank too much. Waka-danna sama is too tough..." Upon returning to the males' dorms, while my drunk head was spinning around, I entered the men's baths. I splashed on water to wash off the liquor smell, then opened the sliding doors to my room and burst inside, and collapsed on the futon that I kept lying around. My room is at the top floor of the males' dorms. As the head receptionist I was given my own flat, and I wasn't roommates with anyone. Ah, the cool breeze feels great. I went and opened the veranda's door, and I looked at Kakuriyo's faintly darkened evening sky. "Hoo-hoo. It's the hoot of the underworld's night owl." "Hmm.. what?" From the veranda a single owl feather flew inside, and somehow plopped down, and I went inside the room again. "What is this.. A letter for me?" It was a momiji-patterned stationery. I haven't received a letter for a long time. P159 A red stamp was attached, this was exclusively used by the underworld's postal service that goes between Utsushiyo and Kakuriyo. The sender is... "Suzuran" In one breath, I got sobered up. This was my younger sister, Suzuran's letter. I stood up and pulled out a pair of scissors, and cut the seal.

"Akatsuki-niisan, it has been a long time. Are you busy everyday? I'm worried about niisan, don't work too hard and neglect taking care of your health. Are you eating nutritious food? Are you sleeping enough?"

What the, her opening was only about her worries. Don't worry Suzuran, about your brother. That detestable Shirou's granddaughter's food, I eat those everyday and get healthier. It's full of nutrients as well as delicious. I'm not miserable.

"Akatsuki-niisan may be blunt and crude, but he's really very sweet, are you on good terms with Aoi-san right now? Did I guess that right?" P160 "What the heck." That woman Suzuran. I don't understand why she's on good terms with Aoi, but for sure, she's saying nice things about her because they bonded during the time she stayed here. My sister by blood, she forsees just about everything.

"While I was taking care of Shirou-san's tombstone, I was also looking after the businesses of the people in Utsushiyo. When the Ayakashi living here come and wreck Shirou-san's tombstone, I grow into a larger body, you know? Everybody flees, when they see my Jorougumo** form."

"Oh, goodness, so that's it..." Even I was, when she powerfully threw me out of Tenjin-ya, her powers were quite strong...

"I love niisan, who works his best as a receptionist at Tenjin-ya. But please, don't be too excessive. Take some time to rest. Because niisan dislikes taking a break. You also dislike having fun with girls every now and then."

"Stop it. Leave me alone." T/N: So while Akatsuki is a spider demon- a tsuchigumo=土蜘蛛 that burrows underground like a tarantula, his sister Suzuran is an orb weaver spider demon, a jorougumo=女郎蜘蛛 that hangs on trees. No wonder Akatsuki's mini-form looks so pudgy and cute gwahahaha especially the cute skull on his abdomen. Try searching for that image, when Suzuran beat the crap out of him and he got weak AF wahahaha poor bean P161 "Suzuran always thinks of niisan during the dawn**. Please take care."

After reading the letter, I suddenly laughed at my younger sister's noisy wordings. The letter you sent had composure, as such, from where you are, you're also in good health. While protecting the tombstone of Shirou, whom you love. "..." Instantly, from the edges I saw a reddish ray of light, and as I opened the sliding screen, I looked at the early morning sky. Oh, I get it... The wonderful early morning sky. She said dawn, as it was my name. "Today... That's it. I'll write back Suzuran a very casual letter." Since she has left Kakuriyo, I'll write up everything that has happened in here since then. Also, while by tired body already had its rest, it's fine to do my best at work again. T/N: Akatsuki's name is literally "daybreak", not like them Orochimaru peeps lol

End of Intermission 2, Volume 6. Previous - Chapter 4. Next - Chapter 5

References:

Wonderful site for the youkai references

Other stuff I used to do this: Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (you can buy here, I’m not sponsored btw). I was about to buy the older edition but then the newer one came out 2013 so I bought that instead. Worth buying since I was able to find nearly all of the words I needed just by stroke pattern alone.

Merriam-Webster's Japanese-English Dictionary (the red-covered 1996 version is apparently out of print right now). This is what I have been using for a very long time, I bought it when I was still a fetus (yes I am old so what lol), and after so many years, when compared to newer editions, I still prefer this one since its entirety is Japanese-English, the English to Japanese gloss are just 16 pages tops, so you get more Japanese words for your buck. But that’s just my opinion, maybe other people prefer the Jap-En x En-Jap IDEK.

Basic online dictionary, Jisho. Knowledge of verb conjugations  and other words are necessary since not all have entries.

If you can read Japanese, you can buy the whole set in Amazon Japan, they’re shipping worldwide now, I think.

[amuseoffyre]

happy fic writer friday! id love to know abt ur process, do u write regularly or in fits and starts, how much polishing do u do before u post, etc? xx

In normal circumstances, when my hands are behaving, I write daily. It can happen at any time from when I roll out of bed, to literally ten minutes before I keel over at night. I don’t honestly care what I’m working on as long as I’m siphoning some of the noise out of my brain and into word docs. If I can’t write, there are witnesses who will testify to what an erratic mess I turn into, my poor noggin clogged up with too many thoughts.

When it comes to the practicalities, sometimes I’ll open up something I’ve been working on for a while and just go at it for hours based on an epiphany I had while up for the loo in the middle of the night. Other times, I’ll just have a hankering for some nonsense and bash out a 1k minific. I think my record was 18k in two days :) That hasn’t happened for a while now.

One thing I will say is that I both love and hate how much smarter my hindbrain is than conscious me. I’m the shakespearean-keyboard-smashing-monkey. Sometimes, I’m writing and I have no sodding clue what’s coming next. I’m just thumping the keys and watching the story unfold and suddenly, out of the blue, PLOT TWIST! When I used to live with flatmates, they were frequently disturbed by me yelling “WHAT!?!?!?” at my computer when I surprised myself :D

I am apparently very, very good at creating cunning foreshadowing and set-up and planting McGuffins without having a single frigging clue wtf is going on. And the thing is that I can recognise that they are a McGuffin. I’ve said to various people I babble about my writing to that “I wrote x and I know it’s an important object but I don’t know why”. And then, fifteen chapters later, they get frantic messages of “YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT IT MEANS!” - it’s a very handy skill to have in original writing too (see my 5-book time travel series where there are no less than 20 stable temporal loops :D)

Polishing-wise, it varies. Usually, none or just tweaking as I go, usually with @yukinojou as sounding board. Generally, I just type, don’t even re-read it and post right away. The exception is if it’s something chaptered like A Bit of Crumpet or The One That Got Away, where I have the whole thing written before I start posting. Those ones, I generally meander back through them, occasionally prodding a sentence or two.

But on the whole with fic, I pour the words out of my head into a word document, adding formatting as I go. If you’re lucky, I might remember to run a spell-check and then it’s usually posted within five minutes of me finishing. And that, my friends, is why I posted a fic with a mispelled title, because I didn’t even think to check and didn’t realise until I’d posted the link :D

[yukinojou]

Abdominal surgery recovery when you're in generally good shape sucks because I can now do all the movements except for half of them an hour later belly is like NOPE

Fuck I was more worried about my pathology results than I thought (they're fine, I learned this today and promptly fell over)

I'm reading all of Howard's Conan the Cimmerian stories and novels, and I inhaled all of them in translation in childhood except apparently the two where Conan is an actual Cossack like did you Ukrainian people know about that part?

[takethistoyourstardust]

I’m reading through the va cast for Sanrio Boys so here’s what I found signifigant:

Mr. PomPomPurin’s VA was the remote-control monster in Binan, Izayoi in the DR3 anime, and one of the main two characters in that god-awful bl Love Stage.

Mr. MyMelody’s VA was in fffffucking King of Prism as a dude named Yukinojou Tachibana, was a character in that Persona 5 Daybreakers animation, and is the Japanese voice of Lie Ren in RWBY.

Mr. HelloKitty’s VA was Keaton in Fire Emblem Fates and that’s really the only role I can see that I know about.

Mr. LittleTwinStars’s VA was in Mob Psycho 100 as two people (Daichi Shiratori and Kaito Shiratori) if that means anything to anyone.

Mr. Cinnamoroll’s VA was Hau in Sun/Moon, was in like three Gundam series as some dude named Yuuma Kousaka, and is ANOTHER guy from King of Prism as Yū Suzuno, 

[recentanimenews]

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans – 50 (Fin)

Once the tunnel digging is complete, everyone falls back except for Akihiro and Mika, who stand their ground and continue to buy time for their family. And while Tekkadan’s two toughest pilots put up a hell of a fight, even initially surviving a direct Dainsleif attack from orbit, they’re sufficiently softened up to allow Julieta and Iok to go in for the kill.

Akihiro gets Iok in his giant binders and crushes him, but he in turn is killed by Iok’s subordinates. Julieta, who has vowed to remain human while being as ruthless as Rustal needs her to be, beheads the bestial Barbatos Lupus Rex and raises it in triumph before her elated comrades. It is over. Mika, Akihiro are dead, and so is Tekkadan.

But life goes on, and those who survived thanks to their fallen brothers continue to follow Orga’s final order to keep moving forward. And what to you know, things end up working out both for Gjallarhorn (which reforms from within to a more democratic system under Rustal) and Mars (which gains nominal independence from Earth, as a new union under the chairmanship of Kudelia).

Kudelia and Rustal work together to end the practice of turning destitute orphans into human debris once and for all. Even without the main actors who set the stage alive to see it, and very few people remember who they even were, a measure of their ideals were realized anyway. Atra’s powerful monologue about how one doesn’t notice a flower blooming by the side of the road really drove that point home.

It helps that the “bad guys” who “won” are interesting and likable enough that years after they brutally took Orga, Mika, Macky and Tekkadan down, it’s still satisfying to see Gaelio returning to his old “frivolous” self, only now far more wiser, while Julieta has steady-competenced herself to being the likely successor to Rustal for leadership of Gjallarhorn.

Meanwhile, some survivors, among them Ride, can’t move forward without taking revenge, as he does when he assassinates Nobliss Gordon while he’s sitting on the toilet.

As for Kudelia? She’s overjoyed to learn Merribit and Yukinojou are expecting their second child soon, but can’t go out drinking with Chad and the guys. She heads home to the Sakura Farm, where an older, taller, and very badass Atra is waiting with their kid, with the unmistakable blue eyes and vacant expression of Mikazuki. The kid’s name is, naturally, Mikazuki, and unlike his father, he’ll have a childhood full of love and kindness, not desperation, and violence.

While chatting with Gaelio, Julieta admits the fighters of Tekkadan weren’t devils; she knew that the moment she saw an unconscious Mika when his cockpit cover sheared off. They were, in fact, the most human of us all, belonging on the battlefield for no other reason than to keep living and fighting. So it’s fortunate that there’s civilization to filter out some of our raw, instinctual humanity.

Thanks to the sacrifices of Tekkadan, McGillis and their allies, that civilization has been improved and made available to the next generation of youth, so maybe there won’t be a need for another Tekkadan ever again.

And that’ll do it. Whether you just checked in this week or have been following them since the very beginning, thanks as always for reading my reviews of what I believe to be one of, if not the best Gundam yet. It was a fantastic ride, and the franchise will be hard-pressed to surpass the greatness it achieved in these fifty episodes. But if they make a (non-SD) attempt down the road, I’ll be there to review it.

By: braverade

[yukinojou]

2019 reading summary

I’ve somehow managed to have my best reading year since starting to track my reading, at 111 books. Even with novellas and books I bounced off of that’s pushing 100. The Hugo Voter Packet definitely helped (and it’s freaking value for money, I suspect I’ll be buying a supporting membership for CoNZealand). Mostly SFF as always, with a smattering of romance, crime, and mostly historical nonfiction.

I’ve managed my foreign language challenge and will be doing it again this year - read a book in every language I’m capable of. That’s Polish, English, French, German and Russian, so quite a bit. I have my French and Russian titles picked out, but recommendations for good recent German SFF are welcome!

Particular favourites this year:

Fonda Lee, Jade City and Jade War - the freaking scope of these books combined with the most visceral characters. Xianxia Godfather in something that’s not quite Singapore or Malaysia. I’m so glad I got to meet the author and squee at her about it.

T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon) - I started with Seventh Bride and inhaled like 6 more this year. She’s got a great pen for fantasy. I think the Clocktaur War books were my favourites.

S. A. Chakraborty - I inhaled both Devabad books and threw them at everyone I could. Third one this year and I can’t wait. Djinn and politics and the Middle Eastern setting of my childhood fairytales.

Max Gladstone - already a favourite, and yet he published two of his best this year. Empress of Forever is the female-heavy Journey to the West in SPACE you didn’t know you wanted (and I wrote fic for Yuletide...), while his collab with Amal El-Mohtar, This Is How To Lose The Time War, is... poetry. Pure poetry that made me cry.

Katherine Arden, The Bear and the Nightingale (and sequels), and Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver - putting those together because oh gods, the female-centered Slavic fantasy I was so hungry for as a kid. They both hit the right notes, with fantastic heroines and not-overpowering romance lines. Spinning Silver wins by a nose because Polish-Jewish accountant heroine (I may have flailed), but Vasya is lovely as well, so joint award for “Best tailored to Beth’s id”.

2019 honourable mentions: Zen Cho, P. Djeli Clark, Rivers Solomon (Unkindness blew my mind), V.E. Schwab, Aliette de Bodard, Leigh Bardugo (yes Ninth House is that good). Plus new books from favourites like Guy Gavriel Kay (I cried again but didn’t throw it across the room 4/5), Erin Morgenstern (pure magic), Ann Leckie, Django Wexler and others.

2020 plans: 50 book minimum (because things happen). Read more litfic, starting with Tokarczuk. Read more nonfiction, because the ones I read this year were very rewarding. Plus one book in every language I can read. This should keep me plenty busy.

[yukinojou]

As part of my personal challenge to read books in all feasible languages this year, I’ve started on the original version of the first Alisa Selezneva novel. Not only am I able to read it with maybe two dictionary lookups per page, but I’m remembering how much I freaking love Bulychev ❤ These books were my Harry Potter, the logical and resolute Alisa and her adventures and ideas and ability to make friends everywhere. I suspect I’ll go on through the rest of them, at a somewhat slow and dictionary-assisted way...

[yukinojou]

Reading challenge roundup

I set myself a 50-book goal for 2018, counting both new-to-me and rereads. Somehow I managed to hit 107 O.o This count includes novellas and two books I noped out of, but even so there were enough giant bricks that I feel secure in 100. Mind you, it included quite a few series rereads and a lot of time off due to illness, which I thankfully have a handle on now.

Standout discoveries for 2018:

Roma Sub Rosa by Steven Saylor - technically Roman crime novels, but so - much - more. I inhaled 11 thick books in just over a month.

The Etched City - hard to describe, but oh-so-wonderful in imagery and emotion. A difficult book, but very very important for me.

Murderbot Diaries - the hype is worth it!

I found Martha Wells’ other work different, but Death of the Necromancer really hit the spot.

Revenant Gun - great conclusion to Machineries of the Empire, great novel on its own. I doubt anyone makes it to the end without falling just a little in crush with Kujen

The Moon and the Sun - Louis XIV’s court in picture-perfect detail is not a common setting for a fantasy novel, and it’s such a good one. Mermaids and ethics and feminism and a captivating male lead.

For 2019 I’m setting a 50-book goal again, with a private extra: I want to read a book in every language I’m able to. Polish and English won’t be hard, but I have French adventure novels and German recommendations would be welcome. I’ve picked some Russian YA sff, but I expect it’ll be a challenge. (No Japanese, I’m nowhere near that good alas.)