lunabee34

1. I think I am getting better? I haven't registered a fever in four days. I do not feel like I am dying anymore. I felt well enough that I decided to start exercising again today, so I walked leisurely for fifteen minutes, and I still feel okay. I am taking it really slowly, though. Stupid slow. I do not want to relapse. Fifteen minutes felt enough like really doing something that it's clear that I am going to need to be very gentle with myself.

2. ( I reread Harriet Jacobs for that book chapter I wrote )

3. Everybody should go watch sholio's Fanvid: Defenders--Welcome to New York because it is glorious and will make you cry. And want to rewatch everything. LOL

4. Just in case you also want to go to sleep every night reading stationery blogs, these are my top three sites:

The Well-Appointed Desk

The Pen Addict

The Gentleman Stationer

These sites cover all kinds of pen, pencil, and paper use, but they also feature art and reviews of artists' supplies, so there's a wide range of posts that might interest many of you.

A Ghost of a Problem
Defenders
Jessica Jones finds a ghost kitty.

The Dead Dreamer
Carnival Row
A year after the Row becomes a prison, Philo gets pulled into another case. This is really well done. I love the glimpse of what life is like on the Row now and I love that Philo can't stop trying to figure out the mystery.

to live where soul meets body
Carnival Row
Back story for Philo and his slow recognition of the worlds he straddles.

There are 20 Captain Marvel fics in the archive, an embarrassment of riches.

1. you want to disappear? I got the manual right here by Actonbell
MCU/Atomic Blonde XOVER
Natasha and Delphine meet in a bar. Love it, love it, love it!!!!!!

2. Monday, Josh went for his consult after the MRI. The doc believes it's a ganglion cyst that formed around a tendon tear. He aspirated it with a needle and said that over the next couple of weeks it should go back to normal. If not, then they'll have to consider more invasive options.

3. Emma is loving being in college. She's got a 100 average in both her classes, and more importantly than her grades, she's learning stuff and actually liking what she's learning. I'm so happy for her. In another bit of wonderfulness for her, some of the assholes in her gifted class have finally washed out (which frankly, I expected to happen sooner, but I think the pre-cal + physics combo was finally rigorous enough to get some of the worst offenders to drop).

4. I am reading one of Ouida's volumes of collected essays, and she is cracking me up, y'all. I'd read it before in an extremely desultory way because I wasn't going to use it in my dissertation, but now that I'm reading it more closely, she is bringing the lulz. Many of the essays are reviews of authors/books, and so far, most of the stuff she finds fault with is stuff she does shamelessly in her own work but way way way worse. Like she's all, "OMG, he gave his lead protag the shocking name of Griggs. Were an Othello or Hamlet to be named Griggs, he would try to move the hearts of men in vain." This is a woman whose best known female protagonist is named CIGARETTE! CIGARETTE, I SAY! *g*

5. I recently read David Sedaris's latest collection, Calypso, in which he waxes rhapsodic about his Fitbit and how his neuroses make him take wearing it to an extreme level of extra. I am doing it wrong for sure because all I've been able to think since I read that essay is how much I also want a Fitbit so that I may also use my neuroses for good. LOL But seriously, I think I'm going to get a Fitbit. The new Inspire version can be worn while swimming. I'm sold!

1. Y'all were so right! Always Be My Maybe is delightful. ( spoilers )

2. ( children's books roundup for June )

3. ( Where Three Roads Meet: The Myth of Oedipus )

4. ( fic recs in MCU, Guardian, and Stranger Things )

1. We saw Solo. I was extremely skeptical but ended up very pleasantly surprised by how good the movie is. ( SPOILERS )

2. Emma and I watched The Hitman's Bodyguard last night. So much fun, y'all. It's like an AU Fury and AU Deadpool go on a road trip. It's really violent but very, very funny. If you like Deadpool, you'll like this one.

3. watch them rolling back by napricot; Infinity Wars Spoilers; Bucky/Steve

“The journey to reach Thanos will take some time. We will spend that time getting in touch with our feelings and loving each other and our beloved lost comrades. We will share and communicate! We will build a bifrost of love and thus reach our beloved dead even across the voids between planes! In this way, we will make sure they remain connected to us.”

“Gross,” mutters Nebula.

“And then! We will murder Thanos with our bare hands!! Is that understood?!” finishes Thor, roaring by now, a bright, crazed grin fixed on his face. Sparks of lightning are crackling off of him. Steve inches his chair back from him, just in case.

Not Yet Legends by LeBibish
Brave
Fergus/Elinor courtship backstory
Very good character study of Elinor

Potential by Tarash
Cabin in the Woods
What if Jules was secretly a Slayer?

Rolling Destiny's Dice by Marks
Calvin & Hobbes
This is seriously dark and weird, and I like it.

This American Life episode 141: A Whole New World. Transcript by NaomiK
This American Life
Hermione Granger, Steve Rogers, and Susan Pevensie are all interviewed by the NPR show. Probably my favorite fic I've read thus far in the archive. Excellent.

Now Is Time for Later by Musyc
Belgariad/Mallorean series
Durnik/Polgara on the eve of their wedding; so sweet and wonderful

Vids

Help by lightningmix
Glee, Kurt character study
Brilliant editing, tightly focused

Echo by Tomoyofanel
Avengers; Tony/Steve
This is a constructed reality vid, so the ending uses clips from other sources the actors have been in. I love the parallels the vid draws between the Tony and Steve's experiences. Powerful stuff.

My Body is a Cage by nel_ani
Avengers; Bruce, Tony, Wolverine character study
Wow. I love this vidder, and I love the comparisons she makes among these characters.

Remember the Name by gabygal17
Avengers; ensemble
Short, catchy, makes me smile

A Different Kind of Love Song by giandujakiss
Multi-fandom
All hail the geek! What a great shout out to the geek love when it appears in our favorite shows.

Fic

All the Anger that They Eat by BeatriceEagle
Avengers; Tony character study
This fic is an insightful look at the PTSD Tony experiences when he comes back from Afghanistan.

On the Road Home by rubynye
LotR; Sam/Merry/Pippin, implied past Sam/Frodo and future Sam/Rosie; Adult
Y'all, it kills me when Frodo sails off with the elves, like hurt that makes your breath hitch in your chest. Even if I wasn't convinced that they are romantically in love with each other, which I am LOL, the thought of being separated from your heart's friend equally slays me. This is Sam and Merry and Pippin on the way home from the harbor trying to deal with Frodo's absence (and all their other wounds) as best they can.

Never More than Dreaming by Adrienne
LoTR; Sam/Frodo, Sam/Rosier
And this is why I hate the thought of them separated so badly. This is the story of Sam staying behind, of how much it hurts both him and Frodo to be apart. (I have to admit I find the narrative structure of this story a teensy bit confusing, but YMMV)

Mind Games by tea_with
LotR; Merry/Pippin; Adult
This is what Merry sees when Galadriel pierces him with her gaze. This is what he sacrifices--the bitter and the sweet and the desperate that might have been. Seriously awesome.

Dust by melina123
LotR; Eowyn/Faramir, Aragorn/Arwen, Eowyn/Faramir/Aragorn/Arwen, short
I really like this look at what it would be like to age while those dear to your heart do not. Eowyn is 50 something years old and though Aragorn is so many years her senior, she looks older than he does. It worries at her, her looming death. Very nicely done.

Many Aspects by Gillian
LotR; Sam/Frodo; mpreg; long; adult
So, here it is, the obligatory MPREG rec. :) I eat it up with a spoon, y'all.

Flying Monkey, or Five Times Thor Engaged in Culture Exchange by aria
Lovely character study of Thor.

Above Us Only Sky by historymiss
Steve and Tony talk about religion.

Anchor Point by ladycat
Clint/Darcy
Beautifully kinky and twisted porn.

HD 181068 by saathi1013
Jane/Darcy, Jane/Thor, Jane/Darcy/Thor
Jane loves Thor but Thor's gone a long time, and what's been brewing between Jane and Darcy finally comes to fruition, and that's about when Thor shows back up. :)

I'd Ask for Directions If I Knew Where the Hell I Was Going by SidneySussex
Phil/Bruce, Bruce/Clint, Phil/Bruce/Clint
This is a lovely AU in which Phil owns a music store patronized by Bruce Banner and his friends. I love this version of Phil, and I really enjoyed finding new bands (I ended up not really caring for many of them, but what do I know? Lorraine is not a hipster. LOL)

The Evaluation Process by sinemoras09
Jarvis-centric gen
After Tony dies, Jarvis must deal with his creator's death and figure out the path he'll take now that everything has changed. Very bittersweet.

A Girl Worth Fighting For by beardsley
Darcy/Sif
Just how does an Asgardian woo the Midgardian of her dreams? :)

I am what I am by cosmic_llin
Star Trek; Lwaxana Troi

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by talitha78
Die Hard; Matt/John

Ron Weasley--Little Lion Man by Dazzleme7
Harry Potter; Ron Weasley

Fuck the Narrative by kita0610
Politics; women's rights to reproductive choice; non-fandom (but essential watching)

Rabbit Heart by amv
Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple; Kisara

Inuyasha score played by orchestra

Somebody that I used to Know by talitha78
Avengers; Thor/Loki

Courtesy of a nonnie on fandomsecrets: Fun fact: With the latest upgrade (about three or so days ago) you need to allow a script from a site that hosts dangerous content just to be able to log in, add stories to your favorites or leave reviews. (If you're using script blocking add-ons, that is.)

I almost never go to ff.net anymore since I got a virus on my computer from the ads on the site TWICE in a period of several months. This clinches it for me, though, and I'd suggest those of you who do use the site regularly be careful.

And now for Avengers rec time!

Semaphore by devildoll
Tony/Pepper, Tony/Steve, Jane/Thor; Adult
This is one of the first stories I've read that really spends a lot of time explaining how Steve and Tony fall in love with each other. I like that. I love Pepper in this story and that she isn't vilified or marginalized to make way for the slash pairing. I think I might love Miriam, the 90 year old OC who lives across the hall from Steve, more than anything else in this story. Excellent read y'all.

Hulk SMISH by ariadne83
Hulk/Tony; PG
First off, bonus points for the best title of ever. This is adorable and sweet and a nice counterpoint to a lot of the angst that the Avengers quite rightly inspire. Also, it seems that more may be coming at some point, so yay!

And bonus Game of Thrones rec!

False Colors (Reverse Remix) by likeadeuce
ficlet
Oh, this is a gorgeous and funny piece of meta. I don't want to spoil you, so if you like this series in book or show form, you should totally read. Good times.