The Lord of the Rings
Jan. 23rd, 2026 03:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lucymonsterI've been "rereading" by way of the audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis. He's a brilliant narrator, with two caveats:
As of writing this post I'm about an hour off the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, with the sundering of the fellowship poised to come crashing down on my head. Legolas has been my favourite character since before the movies made him hot, but this time I'm finding myself caught up in the story of Frodo like never before. His yearning for the Shire and desperately reluctant acceptance of his calling have really touched me this time through. I've been especially caught on the moment, small as it is, when having been incapacitated by the Nazgûl blade he endures his agony in silence as his friends carry him to safety, so mindful he is already of the burden and danger he's causing them. When I first read The Lord of the Rings I was too young to know what war was, and I've been reading it my whole life the way I first read it then, as first and foremost a fantasy adventure, full of elves and magic and great quests. For some reason this time it is finally coming home to me how much this is a story of the Great War, and how much Frodo embodies the ordinary conscript: terrified, untrained, barely able to comprehend the grand events unfolding around him but determined to do his duty and empowered through unthinkable ordeals by the deep love and loyalty he has for his friends.
LotR was my second foray into transformative fandom, after getting hooked on fic via Harry Potter and Mugglenet. I haven't been active in the fandom since I was fifteen or so, and fortunately my "contributions" were all published on dead or forgotten sites under a different username - I remember writing one or two "tenth fellowship member" self-inserts, and something godawful about Legolas having a doomed romance with a mortal OC, and something even more godawful about Haldir (for some reason???) battling anorexia nervosa. (Edit after a pause and some googling: Oh god, the whole site that hosted all my teenage dreck has been re-archived on AO3. It's all still out there! Some of it still getting kudos and comments! The internet truly is forever.) Most of the fic I was reading back then is probably of a kind and thus better forgotten, but I'd like to link a couple of old favourites that have stuck with me over the years.
While the Ring Went South... by Thundera Tiger is a scrupulously canonverse fic slotted into the two week journey between Rivendell and Caradhras. It's genfic, full of adventures and largely centred on the rivalry/developing friendship between Legolas and Gimli. I reread some of it not that far back and it lived up to all my fond memories. The sequel, During a Journey in the Dark, doesn't seem to have made it to AO3 but is still available on Stories of Arda.
Celebdil-Galad and Tinlaure wrote a large volume of intensely smarmy, whumpy Legolas & Aragorn torturefic. I have not reread any of these since my teens, and I don't intend to, since I doubt my adult self will be able to reconnect with the emotions they once provoked even if they turn out to have been brilliantly written masterpieces. More likely, they were written by kids a couple of years older than me at the time and with commensurate skill. But I still remember them fondly.
- His singing is juuust bearable when he's doing a very low voice (like for Aragorn) but excruciating otherwise. I've had to skip past some of the poetry on these grounds.
- Or really 1a: his singsong Tom Bombadil voice captured the character in his purest essence, which is to say, it's so smug and jolly that the first sound of it made me want to punch something. I'm not a habitual Bombadil skipper (though admittedly that's more due to stubborn pride than any real appreciation for Tolkien's vision in those chapters) but Serkis' Bombadil defeated me utterly.
As of writing this post I'm about an hour off the end of The Fellowship of the Ring, with the sundering of the fellowship poised to come crashing down on my head. Legolas has been my favourite character since before the movies made him hot, but this time I'm finding myself caught up in the story of Frodo like never before. His yearning for the Shire and desperately reluctant acceptance of his calling have really touched me this time through. I've been especially caught on the moment, small as it is, when having been incapacitated by the Nazgûl blade he endures his agony in silence as his friends carry him to safety, so mindful he is already of the burden and danger he's causing them. When I first read The Lord of the Rings I was too young to know what war was, and I've been reading it my whole life the way I first read it then, as first and foremost a fantasy adventure, full of elves and magic and great quests. For some reason this time it is finally coming home to me how much this is a story of the Great War, and how much Frodo embodies the ordinary conscript: terrified, untrained, barely able to comprehend the grand events unfolding around him but determined to do his duty and empowered through unthinkable ordeals by the deep love and loyalty he has for his friends.
LotR was my second foray into transformative fandom, after getting hooked on fic via Harry Potter and Mugglenet. I haven't been active in the fandom since I was fifteen or so, and fortunately my "contributions" were all published on dead or forgotten sites under a different username - I remember writing one or two "tenth fellowship member" self-inserts, and something godawful about Legolas having a doomed romance with a mortal OC, and something even more godawful about Haldir (for some reason???) battling anorexia nervosa. (Edit after a pause and some googling: Oh god, the whole site that hosted all my teenage dreck has been re-archived on AO3. It's all still out there! Some of it still getting kudos and comments! The internet truly is forever.) Most of the fic I was reading back then is probably of a kind and thus better forgotten, but I'd like to link a couple of old favourites that have stuck with me over the years.
While the Ring Went South... by Thundera Tiger is a scrupulously canonverse fic slotted into the two week journey between Rivendell and Caradhras. It's genfic, full of adventures and largely centred on the rivalry/developing friendship between Legolas and Gimli. I reread some of it not that far back and it lived up to all my fond memories. The sequel, During a Journey in the Dark, doesn't seem to have made it to AO3 but is still available on Stories of Arda.
Celebdil-Galad and Tinlaure wrote a large volume of intensely smarmy, whumpy Legolas & Aragorn torturefic. I have not reread any of these since my teens, and I don't intend to, since I doubt my adult self will be able to reconnect with the emotions they once provoked even if they turn out to have been brilliantly written masterpieces. More likely, they were written by kids a couple of years older than me at the time and with commensurate skill. But I still remember them fondly.
Thursday Recs
Jan. 22nd, 2026 09:37 pmsoc_puppet posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
queerly_belovedRolling on track with more Thursday Recs!
Do you have a rec for this week? Just reply to this post with something queer or queer-adjacent (such as, soap made by a queer person that isn't necessarily queer themed) that you'd, well, recommend. Self-recs are welcome, as are recs for fandom-related content!
Or have you tried something that's been recced here? Do you have your own report to share about it? I'd love to hear about it!
Do you have a rec for this week? Just reply to this post with something queer or queer-adjacent (such as, soap made by a queer person that isn't necessarily queer themed) that you'd, well, recommend. Self-recs are welcome, as are recs for fandom-related content!
Or have you tried something that's been recced here? Do you have your own report to share about it? I'd love to hear about it!
Foggy Morning + Ice Views
Jan. 22nd, 2026 08:18 pmyourlibrarian posting in common_nature
A couple of photos from a foggy morning, with some geese serenely sailing by. You can better see the scrum of ducks in the next photo, gathered around the aerator. We can only assume that it's the best place to get algae from, maybe it pulls it to the surface?
( Read more... )
8 for good luck
Jan. 22nd, 2026 09:21 pmstarandreaHappy birthday marcicat!!!!!!!! You are my favorite person in the world and I hope you have the best and sparkliest year yet ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I was trying to think of a fic rec I don't know for sure you've already read, and it was not easy! I have likely not succeeded, but I thought the excerpt was funny enough to be worth it regardless.
♥ Pre-Existing Condition, by Helenish
“Isn’t this fraud?” Matt says. He’s inspecting the card again, who knows what’s so interesting about it, just John’s name at the top next to SUBSCRIBER NAME: and then a neat row of lines at the bottom under DEPENDENTS: SPOUSE Farrell M; CHILD McLane L; CHILD McLane J.
“Oh, right, I forgot what a law-abiding citizen you were,“ John begins, “You can do whatever you want because you’re a fucking anarchist—“
“—Democrat, but okay—“
“but god forbid I should ever—“ the argument clicking along down the old familiar track—except Matt laughs.
“Fine, man, you got me. I only have one leg. What do you want for dinner?”
marcicat!!!!!!!! You are my favorite person in the world and I hope you have the best and sparkliest year yet ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥I was trying to think of a fic rec I don't know for sure you've already read, and it was not easy! I have likely not succeeded, but I thought the excerpt was funny enough to be worth it regardless.
♥ Pre-Existing Condition, by Helenish
“Isn’t this fraud?” Matt says. He’s inspecting the card again, who knows what’s so interesting about it, just John’s name at the top next to SUBSCRIBER NAME: and then a neat row of lines at the bottom under DEPENDENTS: SPOUSE Farrell M; CHILD McLane L; CHILD McLane J.
“Oh, right, I forgot what a law-abiding citizen you were,“ John begins, “You can do whatever you want because you’re a fucking anarchist—“
“—Democrat, but okay—“
“but god forbid I should ever—“ the argument clicking along down the old familiar track—except Matt laughs.
“Fine, man, you got me. I only have one leg. What do you want for dinner?”
January Check-In
Jan. 22nd, 2026 08:14 pmyourlibrarian posting in everykindofcraft
Did you get more crafting time last month? What new or continuing projects have you been working on?
This month's question involves shows involving crafts, from overviews like Craft in America to specific how-tos. Do you or have you watched crafting shows, and how useful do you find them?
Book review: A Memory Called Empire
Jan. 22nd, 2026 06:03 pmrocky41_7 posting in booknookTitle: A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1)
Author: Arkady Martine
Narrator: Amy Landon
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi, fiction
I realized as I was approaching the end of this book that it is the third unfinished series sapphic SFF centering the machinations of an empire that I've read lately (the others being The Locked Tomb and The Masquerade). A Memory Called Empire is the first book in the Teixcalaan series by Arkady Martine (narrated by Amy Landon in the audiobook) and tells the story of Mahit Dzmare, a diplomat from an as-yet-unconquered satellite state of the Teixcalaanli Empire entering her role as ambassador for the first time--after the previous ambassador went radio silent.
For fans of fantasy politics, I highly recommend this one. Mahit enters a political scene on the cusp of boiling over and is thrown not only into navigating a culture and society she's only ever read about, but having to piece together what her predecessor was doing, why he was doing it, and what happened to him. It's a whirlwind of not knowing who to trust, what to lean on, or where to go.
Martine creates such an interesting world here in Teixcalaan and the mindset of a people who pride themselves on being artists above all and yet exist as ruthless conquerors within their corner of space. Furthermore, Mahit herself is in a fascinating position as someone who's been half in love with this empire since childhood, and yet is all too keenly aware of the threat it poses to her and her home. Mahit does well in Teixcalaan--she loves the poetry and literature they so highly prize, she's able to navigate Teixcalaanli society and see the double meanings everywhere, and she's excited to try her hand at these things. And yet--if she plays her cards wrong, it will end with her home being gobbled up by Empire, and as Mahit herself says: Nothing touched by Empire remains unchanged.
I really enjoyed her characters too--3-Seagrass stole the show for me--and they all have believably varied and grounded views and opinions, with the sorts of blind spots and biases you would expect from people in their respective positions. There's character growth and change too, which is always fun to see, and I'm excited to see how that progresses in the next book.
If I had a complaint, and it's a minor one, it's that the prose is sometimes overly repetitive and explanatory, as if Martine doesn't quite trust her audience to remember things from earlier in the book, or understand what's being implied, which occasionally has the effect of making Mahit look less intelligent than her role would demand. However, it didn't happen often enough that I was truly annoyed, and I think the book gets better about it as it goes on.
On the whole, a fun, exciting read (although it takes its time to set up--expect a slow start!) that left me actually looking forward to my commute for a chance to listen to more. Already checking to see if my library has the next book available.
Author: Arkady Martine
Narrator: Amy Landon
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi, fiction
I realized as I was approaching the end of this book that it is the third unfinished series sapphic SFF centering the machinations of an empire that I've read lately (the others being The Locked Tomb and The Masquerade). A Memory Called Empire is the first book in the Teixcalaan series by Arkady Martine (narrated by Amy Landon in the audiobook) and tells the story of Mahit Dzmare, a diplomat from an as-yet-unconquered satellite state of the Teixcalaanli Empire entering her role as ambassador for the first time--after the previous ambassador went radio silent.
For fans of fantasy politics, I highly recommend this one. Mahit enters a political scene on the cusp of boiling over and is thrown not only into navigating a culture and society she's only ever read about, but having to piece together what her predecessor was doing, why he was doing it, and what happened to him. It's a whirlwind of not knowing who to trust, what to lean on, or where to go.
Martine creates such an interesting world here in Teixcalaan and the mindset of a people who pride themselves on being artists above all and yet exist as ruthless conquerors within their corner of space. Furthermore, Mahit herself is in a fascinating position as someone who's been half in love with this empire since childhood, and yet is all too keenly aware of the threat it poses to her and her home. Mahit does well in Teixcalaan--she loves the poetry and literature they so highly prize, she's able to navigate Teixcalaanli society and see the double meanings everywhere, and she's excited to try her hand at these things. And yet--if she plays her cards wrong, it will end with her home being gobbled up by Empire, and as Mahit herself says: Nothing touched by Empire remains unchanged.
I really enjoyed her characters too--3-Seagrass stole the show for me--and they all have believably varied and grounded views and opinions, with the sorts of blind spots and biases you would expect from people in their respective positions. There's character growth and change too, which is always fun to see, and I'm excited to see how that progresses in the next book.
If I had a complaint, and it's a minor one, it's that the prose is sometimes overly repetitive and explanatory, as if Martine doesn't quite trust her audience to remember things from earlier in the book, or understand what's being implied, which occasionally has the effect of making Mahit look less intelligent than her role would demand. However, it didn't happen often enough that I was truly annoyed, and I think the book gets better about it as it goes on.
On the whole, a fun, exciting read (although it takes its time to set up--expect a slow start!) that left me actually looking forward to my commute for a chance to listen to more. Already checking to see if my library has the next book available.
🔊 Daily music
Jan. 22nd, 2026 07:59 pmbluapapilioWhen you’re standing on the edge
So young and hopeless
Got demons in your head
We are, we are
No ground beneath your feet
Not here to hold you
‘Cause we are, we are
The colors in the dark🎤
ONE OK ROCK - We Are
So young and hopeless
Got demons in your head
We are, we are
No ground beneath your feet
Not here to hold you
‘Cause we are, we are
The colors in the dark🎤
ONE OK ROCK - We Are
Dragonfly Cafe
Jan. 22nd, 2026 04:44 pmolivermoss
Laptops in a coffeeshop... like it's ten years ago or something. This place has been around in Portland forever, but I hadn't actually gone until recently. It really feels like stepping back in time, sometimes. The amount of people with earbuds in having phone conversations sometimes is nutty. At least, I hope it's phone conversations with people and not with AI.
Poem: "The Bones of Chihuly"
Jan. 22nd, 2026 01:45 pmysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the March 4, 2025 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from librarygeek. It has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. This poem belongs to the Big One and Shiv threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.
Warning: This poem contains intense topics that may distress some readers, especially glass artists and fans of glass art. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes upset friends, crying man, emotional first aid, Shiv's awkward but effective crisis response, Chihuly Garden and Glass destroyed by earthquake, salvage operations, insufficient organization causing emotional upset, reference to clumsiness, sorting broken glass that used to be art, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your taste and headspace before deciding if this is something you want to read.
( Read more... )
librarygeek. It has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. This poem belongs to the Big One and Shiv threads of the Polychrome Heroics series.Warning: This poem contains intense topics that may distress some readers, especially glass artists and fans of glass art. Highlight to read the more detailed warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes upset friends, crying man, emotional first aid, Shiv's awkward but effective crisis response, Chihuly Garden and Glass destroyed by earthquake, salvage operations, insufficient organization causing emotional upset, reference to clumsiness, sorting broken glass that used to be art, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your taste and headspace before deciding if this is something you want to read.
( Read more... )
Tags:
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Jan. 22nd, 2026 10:52 pmgaladhirTonight I committed myself to dancing my solo to Fos by Amanati at Shimmyfest in June. I performed it just before Christmas to an audience of women from my belly dance class and it had a remarkable reaction:
For everyone else the audience made encouraging noises and clapped along at the fast bits. For me it was absolute silence. They did clap afterward, but I really wasn't sure if it was a success or an abject failure.
Today, however, the instructor mentioned that Shimmyfest was looking for soloists, so I asked her if Fos would be appropriate and she said Yes in tones that actually suggested enthusiasm, so I told her I would do it.
She also asked me if I had thought about costuming, which suggested to me that she did not think what I had been wearing at Christmas was adequate, even though I made the skirt myself out of translucent, watery-like material. I guess the t-shirt over the top was not very professional.
Fortunately at that same hafla there had been a lady selling her old dresses just to get them out of her house, and I picked up something more professional looking from her for £25. Unfortunately, I have been dieting since then and have lost a stone and a half (21lb), so the dress may need some taking in. I won't know what shape I'll be until much closer to the date.
Still, time to drag the choreography back out and start practicing again before I forget it all :)
Poet's Corner: We were emergencies by Buddy Wakefield
Jan. 22nd, 2026 05:31 pmstonepicnicking_okapiThank you to thatjustwontbreak for suggesting Buddy Wakefield. I confess spoken word poetry is not an area I know a lot about but that should change :)
thatjustwontbreak for suggesting Buddy Wakefield. I confess spoken word poetry is not an area I know a lot about but that should change :) 
Book Bingo: G4 | From Your TBR | The Spellshop
Jan. 22nd, 2026 03:47 pmseleneheartThe Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Blurb:
This is the January read for thebookclub_dw, so I'll save my thoughts for the discussion post over there.
Blurb:
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.
When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.
In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.
But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.
Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.
This is the January read for the
bookclub_dw, so I'll save my thoughts for the discussion post over there.
A Tale of 2 Vibes
Jan. 22nd, 2026 12:06 pmolivermossIn last night's post-game interview, here's the screengrab I took of Vince Dunn:
Here's the one the official account went with to promote the interview:
The vibe difference is hilarious to me. Vincess Dunn versus The Dunndertaker
Here's the one the official account went with to promote the interview:
The vibe difference is hilarious to me. Vincess Dunn versus The Dunndertaker
Birdfeeding
Jan. 22nd, 2026 01:32 pmysabetwordsmithToday is cloudy and chilly.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/22/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 1/22/26 -- I filled the trolley twice with large branches that I hauled to the ritual meadow. Now all that's left of the brushpile by the driveway is one big forked branch that I can't break down myself, and the leftover twigs that will need to be raked up. \o/
I've seen a large flock of sparrows, a male and a female cardinal separately, and a starling.
EDIT 1/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a pair of cardinals.
I am done for the night.
I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows.
I put out water for the birds.
EDIT 1/22/26 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.
EDIT 1/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
EDIT 1/22/26 -- I filled the trolley twice with large branches that I hauled to the ritual meadow. Now all that's left of the brushpile by the driveway is one big forked branch that I can't break down myself, and the leftover twigs that will need to be raked up. \o/
I've seen a large flock of sparrows, a male and a female cardinal separately, and a starling.
EDIT 1/22/26 -- I did more work around the patio.
I've seen a pair of cardinals.
I am done for the night.
K-9: Volume 3 extras, with translation
Jan. 22nd, 2026 07:21 pmvriddyAnd with this, we're caught up with the 3 volumes that are out! Very few bonus sketches in this one, instead they used/reused extra panels as if to extend the chapters. Like a close-up on hands, or on a face, or an apple to go with all the Eve and Eden imagery, etc. The effect looks neat when reading, though I do kinda miss getting the cute bonus scenes and sketches!
( Ren's jacket )
( Eve's profile )
( Gaku's profile )
( Ren's clothing )