no pumping, it's already in there

[mrsronweasley]

I think today should be International Quote Without Context Day!



So, anyway, I never finished the last of the Blood Books. I just...I gave up. I couldn't do it. malnpudl, I can now see why you weren't at all upset to give them up. Oh, Tanya Huff. I kind of expected better.

(Which is a good thing, because it means she's improved since then. But it's a bad thing, because Oh my GOD, I had SO MANY ISSUES with these!)


The Smoke series I loved because:

a) TONY, TONY, TONY
b) all the gay - sorry, but it's true
c) Canadian television jokes! \o/
d) a character physically based on Callum Keith Rennie - and a MOUNTIE, to boot
e) the funny
f) have I mentioned all the rampant gay?

The Blood Books had:

a) Tony - for a whee little bit at a time only, which was just wrong
b) very little gay, but plenty of angsting from characters I didn't like
c) a main character I started to hate mid-way - never a good sign
d) sloppy, choppy writing that threw me out of the story with every other sentence
e) no Callums in sight

I just...Vicky Nelson. We are clearly supposed to think she is the shit. Look, she's cool, but she's got flaws - she's stubborn and refuses to accept her own weakenesses! Except, wait, we're supposed to love her for it! Look, she is a rockin' woman! She kicks ass! She has short hair! She has EN EYE DISEASE, hey, what does she have? A disease that causes her vision to go bad? I'm sorry, I don't think I got that THE FIRST HUNDRED TIMES YOU MENTIONED IT.

Wow, hostility. *reigns it in*

I'm sorry, but Vicky pissed me off. Her sheer Mary-Sue-ness was overwhelming. She was too perfect. And her flaws? Not interesting.

Henry? Hey, I like Henry. But if his red-gold eyebrow rose ONE MORE TIME, I would have thrown the books across the room.

Celluci - actually, I really kind of love him. I didn't realize just how much I loved him until he had to travel incognito and what did he do? Put on jeans, a leather jacket, and smoked. Hi, instant orgasm, nice to see you, too.

Basically, I spent the majority of the time wishing that Henry and Celluci would just fuck already, and Vicky would disappear. And I hate that, because I like that the main character is female. But she was just so DULL.

I love Tony, though. I have huge Tony love. He was such a little punk! And I recognized him from the first sentence. As soon as somebody yelled out, "Yo! Victory!" I squealed. And that is the saddest truth of all.

Things I liked? The fact that Tony was dragged to Henry's apartment to have his blood sucked, got hard, left, and the next time we saw him and Henry together, they'd been fucking for four months. \o/

Celluci - again, I just really love him. I wish he'd just...find someone better than Vicky. There, I said it. She just rubbed me the totally wrong way.

Vicky being turned into a vampire - wow, didn't expect that, and liked it. Of course, it was fodder to make her even COOLER, OMG, so that didn't stay a thing I liked.

Mostly, what tripped me up was the writing itself. Tanya Huff is fun and all, but she was trying so hard to pack in every kind of pun/joke her mind came up with, and it was clunky, unnecessary and broke the flow of the narrative for me.

The ever-changing POVs are a huge no-no for me, and these made my head spin.

The internal monologues were hard to wade through because of how they were presented.

The action read weird...I can't quite explain it, but I was never fully inside the story. Sometimes, you're reading something, and realize that once you've stopped, you've actually resurfaced back to reality. I remember reading "At Swim" for the first time and being totally and completely lost to the rest of the world. Every time I had to put it down, it was like being ripped out of Ireland - every single time. Here? I was just sitting, reading a book. And that's disappointing.

Overall, it was just...mediocre writing. I'm glad she got better (though many of the stylistic problems remained in the Smoke series, just slightly diluted - enough for me to ignore them for most of the time), but yeah. These were a real disappointment. Ah, well!

Now, I'm reading "The First Verse" and- yeah. My head's in Ireland. Oh, Dublin. I miss you more than words can say. But - *looks at hip* - I'll always remember you. *g*

Today? "Slings & Arrows" with brooklinegirl. Yay! And then, I really fucking have to finish the professor AU. I...yeah.

Oh, but did I mention my parents' new computer got delivered, and it's shiny and new and I get to play with it? Oh yes. *g* It's a flat screen, and it's 19 inches, and my mother is just IN HEAVEN. We don't have to fight over resolution anymore! Because she can see everything! Yay!

And, finally - I'll be in Minneapolis from Saturday till next Wednesday morning. If anybody in the area feels like getting together at some point, let me know! I'm already meeting sekhmet2, which is making my little heart glow with joy. YAY.

And guess where my layover is on the way there?

Chicago, baby!

It's only an hour. But it's still making me far too happy to be healthy.

Comments

[brooklinegirl.livejournal.com]

Yaaaaaaaaaay, tonight! I have crazy-ass Diane today, but YAY. and we can eat food and watch Canadians and share writing woes. Maybe YOU can fix my porn.

and dude. which airport in Chicago? Because if it's the one in "Broadway Hotel" (Midway? I think?), you can see the crosswalk where Ray runs to meet Fraser at the end. ♥ !!!

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

Crazy-ass Diane can go suck it. *g* (OMG, do I get to meet her? I'm half-scared, half-excited. Oh dear.) But YAY! Pretty Canadians with their pretty crazy and just...yay. YAY. (Maybe we can fix each other's porn! God, what is it with everybody's porn being broken? *sigh*)

I thought about that! (If I admit that that was, in fact, my FIRST thought, will you think any less of me?) I'll have to look it up. 'Cause... uh... yeah.

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

OMG, T, it IS Midway.

*DIES*

[brooklinegirl.livejournal.com]

best thing EVER. when Erin and I were walking between the hotel and the airport at some ungodly hour of the morning, going home from Vividcon, and we were tired and grumpy and done in, and then she grabbed my arm hard, and just said, "Tracey. " And pointed at the crosswalk, and I said, "oh my god. We're in Broadway Hotel," and it was the BEST THING EVER. so, in conclusion: YES AND YAY!

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

I really love that story. It sounds like one of those things that make everything better. Just 'cause...oh. Oh.

I wonder if I'll actually get to see it. I mean, it's a layover, and a pretty short one, at that. But... but... I will do my hardest to find it. Any...tips?.. (And I will have a camera, dammit.)

[ruthless1.livejournal.com]

I would like to point out that I AM in the right fandom now.
*sighs with relief*
I toured the Buffy film sites in CA with my friend last year. I thought we were the geekiest ever but apparently switching fandoms has just put me in with even better geekgirl fans!
I just want to tour the cabin up North with Paul Gross.
*sighs with unrequited obsession*

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I just want to tour the cabin up North with Paul Gross

Y'know, a tour like that could get pretty popular. I'd make my reservations now. :)

[ruthless1.livejournal.com]

Well - I DID check and it seems that those reservations are already filled. I am a dollar short and years too late!
*is envious of his wife - but not in any sort of creepy stalkery way cuz that would be kind of awful*
*goes back to secretly searching for PG lookalikes in RL*

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

Oh, oh, you're DEFINITELY in the right fandom. *g*

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I had a layover this week in O'Hare, both ways (Because of course, the most efficient way to get from Rhode Island to Georgia is to go through CHICAGO). I couldn't leave the airport because my flight was too soon, so no exploring.

Also, O'Hare is eighteen miles from the city. It must take a looong time to walk that far. *g*

[mayatawi.livejournal.com]

Oooh. Um. If it's O'Hare, then be prepared for a massive clusterfuck.

My mom spent ELEVEN HOURS wandering around O'Hare looking for a connecting flight, because her plane was delayed due to bad weather, and she missed her original connection. And, well. She'll tell you the story someday maybe. It is a story of HELL. But she has gray hair, so eventually someone took pity on her.

Just. Have lots of music and things, just in case?

never mind

[mayatawi.livejournal.com]

Oh, Midway? Better than O'Hare. I think. It has to be, anyway.

Go! Enjoy the Chicago-ness! (and WTF COME BACK!)

Re: never mind

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I will! I've heard that about O'Hare, and, actually, now I think about it, I've been to O'Hare (on my way to NOLA), and...yeah. But luckily, it isn't O'Hare, so yay! Your poor, poor mother. I'll have to ask her. She tells the BEST stories. :D

(OMG I WANT TO COME BACK ANDNEVERLEAVE)

[etben.livejournal.com]

dude, midway! that's (eleventy million blocks) due west of ME! and I'll actually be in chicago as of saturday, although not at midway, because moving in + packrat = car. BUT! STILL! MY POINT STANDS!

and that point is: CHICAGO CHICAGO HI HI CHICAGO!

...OK, I'm done now. Really, I promise. No more compulsive reactions to mentions of Chicago.

(OMG CHICAGO! *explodes*)

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

CHICAGO!!! I have a really good friend in Chicago. I should just STAY there. But I'm pretty sure my grandparents might be a little putout. What do you think?

OMG CHICAGO!!! :D :D :D

[starfishchick]

Really? I love the Blood books. (And I really had a hard time getting into the Smoke books.)

But I read the Blood books first (as they were published, I mean) and have re-read them about a squillion times, so they are comfort for me.

Chacun a son gout, eh?

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

Indeed! *g* Sorry if I totally railroaded over your comfort reading. >.< I just...uhm. Yes. Have strong opinions? I think it didn't help that I read the Smoke books first.

Hi. :P

[starfishchick]

Hee, no, you are totally entitled to your opinions!! I guess, to me, after all these years of reading the Blood books, the Smoke books seemed a little ... clunky.

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

That makes perfect sense. *g* I still love the fact that these books exist at ALL, you know? Canadian bi vampires! Threesomes for great justice! *g*

[icarion.livejournal.com]

.... What books are these? I am suddenly intrigued! :D

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

Hee! They're Tanya Huff's "Blood" series and "Smoke and --" series. I read the Smoke books first (they were written quite a while after the Blood books) and really enjoyed them. But the Blood books, as you can tell...disappointed. So, um...in my very not humble, I totally recommend the Smoke books. Um. See, I feel bad not reccing the others, but I just- I can't. Oh, but I totally loved a stand-alone of hers, "Fire's Stone". It's wonderful, and also - like, totally gay. *g*

[icarion.livejournal.com]

Sounds great! I think I will have to investigate those :)

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

Definitely do. And be sure not to miss the physical description of Constable Jack [Whatever his last name is, dammit, I totally forgot]. I think it starts with...C?.. *is pretty*

[malnpudl.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's about where I was with them, though I didn't particularly dislike Vicky. Her first couple of villains weren't big enough or bad enough. The third one was too big and bad. The writing was clumsy at times. The whole series just never truly hooked me.

Glad to hear that the Smoke series is better, because I did adore Tony.

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the first few cases were blah, then the middle one was scary as fuck and the ending didn't... I don't know. I thought something very clever could have been done with his horrible claustrophobia, but what they DID do kind of made me go 'meh'. And the fourth one? I hated the fourth one. It dragged ON and ON and OOOON oh my God, I never thought I'd see it end. The ending there was interesting, but seriously? SERIOUSLY? It could have been a LOT shorter.

So, yes. Tony in the Smoke books? Totally worth it. *g*

[entropical87.livejournal.com]

So, so glad I double checked the books and made sure to get the first in the Smoke series. Those are the issues that lead to me resisting the urge to have a little bonfire. ('Oh please, we KNOW she's beautiful! You've said it a BILLION TIMES! Yes, it's very hard being that pretty because that's all anyone notices, her life is naught but sadness and tears, blah blah blah.' Or my personal favorite 'They are NOT in fucking LOVE! She's barely spoken five words to him! Oh, for fuck's sake.')

How- how many inches? 19... I think I've gone a little lightheaded.

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

Yes! Oh my God, the pounding of issues into us over and over and OVER again really pissed me off. Yes, Henry has a red-gold eyebrow that likes to rise on its volition. Yes, Vicky is tall and has thick glasses. Yes, Celluci has a curl that drops into his eyes every fucking five seconds. Adorable? Sure. Do I need to hear it again? And again? And again? And again? And again? NO!

*breathes in and out*

There. I'm better now. *g* Smoke, though? Similar issues, but... *thrashes* TONY!!

How- how many inches? 19... I think I've gone a little lightheaded.

Aaaand I thank you for taking part in my Take A Quote Out of Context Day! You win a prize! *throws cocks at you*

[doll-revolution.livejournal.com]

dude, minneapolis? i LIVE there, and am desperate for people to visit! i know the BEST bars, and i have lots of stuff an dvd! (and 2 cats!) come visit me!! (or at least go out!)

that doesn't sound TOO pathetic, does it? email me at:
doll underscore revolution at hotmail dot com

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

I'll see what I can do! I realized, a bit later, that I might not have, um, all that much time? Outside the family? (Oops.) But I'll email you! :D Yay! (And, um re: kitties... see the comment below. *g* I am DEATHLY ALLERGIC. Sad, but true.)

[doll-revolution.livejournal.com]

okay then, you won't come to my house.

but BARS! where they KNOW ME! and food and things!

i is fun i swear :)

[everlastingwhy.livejournal.com]

Oh hey, neat! I'm out of town Saturday and Sunday, but if you get a chance in your busy schedule, email me. I currently don't have a kitty, and Ben and I live within walking distance of anything in Uptown OR downtown. It rules.

[mrsronweasley.livejournal.com]

I will see what I can do, I'd love to meet up! And it's sad that you remember my pathetic allergies. :P

[undecidedpsyche.livejournal.com]

hey liz! i'm terribly sad! i tried downloading the first episode you sent me and it only would play the first minute of slings and arrows! and now you've seen the last two episodes. so jealous! i didn't read your comments on it-i resisted, but it was very difficult. anyway...i was wondering if you could try sending it again? i miss you by the way! it won't be the same when i'm watching them alone.