The Day in Spikedluv (Thursday, Sept 25)
Sep. 26th, 2025 07:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spikedluvThis was a no-shopping day, but I got in a walk around the park while I was downtown. I filled up my gas tank on the way home. I went through the bank drive-thru and stopped at the library on the way to visit my aunt.
I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded!), hand-washed dishes, went for a walk with Pip and the dogs (just the one because it was raining pretty hard and I’m a baby about it), cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, boiled pasta and stirred up chicken noodle casserole (my take on tuna noodle casserole since Pip doesn’t like tuna) for supper, scooped kitty litter, and showered.
I finished Amelia Peabody.
Temps started out at 63.9(F) and reached 70.2. It got humid in the afternoon. The rain was on and off, but harder between 4–6pm. The total rain for the past three days was about an inch and a half. According to TWC app we no longer have rain scheduled for Friday and Saturday; so happy that the dreary, rainy days are over!
Mom Update:
Mom was feeling kind of meh today. ( more back here )
I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded!), hand-washed dishes, went for a walk with Pip and the dogs (just the one because it was raining pretty hard and I’m a baby about it), cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, boiled pasta and stirred up chicken noodle casserole (my take on tuna noodle casserole since Pip doesn’t like tuna) for supper, scooped kitty litter, and showered.
I finished Amelia Peabody.
Temps started out at 63.9(F) and reached 70.2. It got humid in the afternoon. The rain was on and off, but harder between 4–6pm. The total rain for the past three days was about an inch and a half. According to TWC app we no longer have rain scheduled for Friday and Saturday; so happy that the dreary, rainy days are over!
Mom Update:
Mom was feeling kind of meh today. ( more back here )
Friday @ 5:18 pm
Sep. 26th, 2025 05:18 pmalisxHearing a Youth pronounce it out loud as “ . . . eye-three-three-seven speak?” made my soul immediately leave my body from old age.
Fannish 50 S3 Post 40: Le Sserafim singing in Spanish!
Sep. 25th, 2025 12:48 pmglitteryvA little under a week ago, Le Sserafim posted this cover of Selena's "Amor Prohibido" alongside a cute MV.
OK, firstly, kudos to them for tackling one of the most well-known songs for a Tejano LEGEND. Secondly, they did AMAZING--especially when it came to rolling their r's! Finally, it's pretty clear that they understood and respected the song AND Selena's legacy. <3 to my FIMMIES.
OK, firstly, kudos to them for tackling one of the most well-known songs for a Tejano LEGEND. Secondly, they did AMAZING--especially when it came to rolling their r's! Finally, it's pretty clear that they understood and respected the song AND Selena's legacy. <3 to my FIMMIES.
Dividing line.
Sep. 26th, 2025 12:48 amalisx[B]ig business and the state have never had a clear dividing line; large firms are always chartered by the government for quasi-public purposes. We’ve just chosen since the 1980s to make that public purpose the enrichment of a few finance-oriented managers and technologies, and lied about it. But before that, we had a decentralized business apparatus, though big business was heavily regulated by the state through forms of public utility rule-making. As FDR put it in 1938, “The power of a few to manage the economic life of the nation must be diffused among the many or be transferred to the public and its democratically responsible government.” He wasn’t saying that to be nice. It was 1938, the alternative was fascism.
Matt Stoller on .
Only tangentially related to the above, I think one of the things the Trump era has made abundantly clear about the whole “run the government like a business” shtick is just how fucking awfully run most businesses are. Even the profitable ones. Hell, especially the profitable ones.
Like, there’s definitely a temptation, because of who Trump is, to pretend that he’s an especially egregious example of Johnny C. Businessman but, uh. Not really? He’s more blatant about it — feels less of a need to trot out the usual apologetics and stories corporations tell about themselves — but that’s really about all. The underlying dysfunctions are the same. The mass hiring of unqualified lickspittles, the deranged and impractical top-down edicts, the failing up, the cults of personality, the blatant lying about basically everything . . . like, if you have worked in a business, you’ve seen all of these things in action, to one degree or another. They’re also, if you’ll note, exactly the same problems you get in, for example, absolute monarchies, the military,1 failed states of all persuasions, and certain forms of community and religious organisations, which kinda of gives a clue to the real culprit here, i.e., authoritarianism, at least in its “small-a,” generic sense (and, also, the “big-a,” political science sense, since Authoritarianism is by definition authoritarian).
Like, don’t get me wrong. Modern forms of liberal democracy aren’t perfect. But they have been developed over centuries in specific opposition to authoritarian forms of social organisation, in their case absolute monarchies. The fact that the locus of authoritarianism in the modern world has mostly shifted from monarchs to capitalists, and that the theory has been lagging a bit behind the practice? Well. So it goes.
- One of the things I don’t think gets enough play is that the modern military does a lot to try and temper the effects of authoritarianism in an organisation that pretty much has to be extremely hierarchical. If you’ve never really dealt with the military I think it’s easy to overlook this, but it’s something the modern professional officer class angsts about constantly; this is what all the stuff about honour and duty and service and whatever is actually supposed to be a counter to. And even then it still frequently goes wrong! ↩
The Day in Spikedluv (Wednesday, June 24)
Sep. 25th, 2025 07:46 amspikedluvI had a chiropractic appointment and a pedicure this morning. I hit the Pharmacy while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park between rain showers (though I carried my umbrella just in case).
I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes, went for a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs (in the rain), baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter.
I finished the Orange Chicken for lunch today. Not as good as when it was fresh, but still pretty good. We had sausage (just Pip) and eggs for supper.
I read more in Amelia Peabody.
Temps started out at 63.5(F) and reached 66.6 (that I saw). It was very foggy this morning – I drove slow all the way to downtown – and still foggy the nearer I got to home after downtown errands. It didn’t rain continuously all day, but it was a dreary day nonetheless.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing well. ( more back here )
I did a load of laundry (washed, dried AND folded), hand-washed dishes, went for a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs (in the rain), baked chicken for the dogs’ meals, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, and scooped kitty litter.
I finished the Orange Chicken for lunch today. Not as good as when it was fresh, but still pretty good. We had sausage (just Pip) and eggs for supper.
I read more in Amelia Peabody.
Temps started out at 63.5(F) and reached 66.6 (that I saw). It was very foggy this morning – I drove slow all the way to downtown – and still foggy the nearer I got to home after downtown errands. It didn’t rain continuously all day, but it was a dreary day nonetheless.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing well. ( more back here )
WIP Wednesday
Sep. 24th, 2025 11:42 pmfirethesoundSneaking this on in with just 20 minutes left of Wednesday. I feel like I'm slowly getting my life back together after all the disruption, but man has it been uphill. But there were words! There is a finished fic!! I am very excited about both.
New words this week : 5304 words which is down a bit but still great all things considered!
WIPs worked on this week : 3, with one new WIP.
The Old Guard
☆ cockwarming : 3762 words which brings the total to 3762 words and this isn't just another WIP my friends this one is DONE and it's already posted!! Read it here for now, I need to get better about crossposting everything to Dreamwidth as well.
☆ food truck au : 1300 words which brings the total to 23,171 words and it's still trucking along. Took a brief break from it to write cockwarming (what can I say, the heart wants what it wants) but I'm going to get back to it. I'm so very close to the end. All of it's partially written so it's just a matter of filling in the gaps.
☆ werewolf au : 602 words which brings the total to 7969 words and I continue to be obsessed with it.
New words this week : 5304 words which is down a bit but still great all things considered!
WIPs worked on this week : 3, with one new WIP.
The Old Guard
☆ cockwarming : 3762 words which brings the total to 3762 words and this isn't just another WIP my friends this one is DONE and it's already posted!! Read it here for now, I need to get better about crossposting everything to Dreamwidth as well.
☆ food truck au : 1300 words which brings the total to 23,171 words and it's still trucking along. Took a brief break from it to write cockwarming (what can I say, the heart wants what it wants) but I'm going to get back to it. I'm so very close to the end. All of it's partially written so it's just a matter of filling in the gaps.
☆ werewolf au : 602 words which brings the total to 7969 words and I continue to be obsessed with it.
Wednesday Reading Meme & Books 100 - 101 of 2025
Sep. 24th, 2025 11:10 amspikedluvWhat I Just Finished Reading: Since last Wednesday I have read/finished reading: Garden of Lamentations (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) by Deborah Crombie and Key Lime Sky by Al Hess.
What I am Currently Reading: Children of the Storm (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters
What I Plan to Read Next: I have another library book out and one on request, so probably one of those.
Can you believe that I've actually reached (and surpassed) my goal of 100 books?!!!
Book 100 of 2025: Garden of Lamentations (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)
I enjoyed this book a lot! ( spoilers )
This book was really good and I'm giving it five hearts. My only concern is that I'm reaching the end of the series. o_O I found an interview that in which the author says she's working on #20, but there seems to be more time between each release, so I don't know when it might be coming out.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 101 of 2025: Key Lime Sky (Al Hess)
This book was nothing at all what I expected, and yet I liked it quite a lot. When I finally got around to starting it, I finished it in two days. ( spoilers )
I enjoyed this book and am giving it five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
What I am Currently Reading: Children of the Storm (An Amelia Peabody Mystery) by Elizabeth Peters
What I Plan to Read Next: I have another library book out and one on request, so probably one of those.
Can you believe that I've actually reached (and surpassed) my goal of 100 books?!!!
Book 100 of 2025: Garden of Lamentations (A Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James Mystery) (Deborah Crombie)
I enjoyed this book a lot! ( spoilers )
This book was really good and I'm giving it five hearts. My only concern is that I'm reaching the end of the series. o_O I found an interview that in which the author says she's working on #20, but there seems to be more time between each release, so I don't know when it might be coming out.
♥♥♥♥♥
Book 101 of 2025: Key Lime Sky (Al Hess)
This book was nothing at all what I expected, and yet I liked it quite a lot. When I finally got around to starting it, I finished it in two days. ( spoilers )
I enjoyed this book and am giving it five hearts.
♥♥♥♥♥
The Day in Spikedluv (Tuesday, Sept 23)
Sep. 24th, 2025 07:17 amspikedluvI had a massage this morning. (I scheduled it on Saturday, after confirming that Sister S was taking mom to her dr. appt today. It’s been a while, and I wanted to do some shopping in Albany, so I took advantage of circumstances.) It was just okay. It was a new-to-me massage therapist and I did not love her technique. Instead of the long, slow strokes I’m used to, she used very fast ones. It felt like she was racing and I couldn’t relax.
I told her when she was doing my back that I often got knots around my shoulder blades. She said she was feeling for things like that as she did the massage. My unspoken thought was, how could you possibly feel anything moving that fast?!! (I did get a free ‘enhancement’ (aromatherapy lotion) for my birthday, even though it was last month, so that was nice.)
I hit five stores while I was in the area and only managed to get something from two of them. I wanted to get Christmas-present calendars from the calendar store, but the calendar store no longer stocks All The Calendars, just games and toys. *deep disappointment* I will have to wait until the first week of October when the kiosk goes up, or just order them online. I was looking forward to having that task finished. (I ended up ordering them online, so the task ~is finished.)
ETA: I forgot to mention that I got lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. I had a gift certificate and hadn't been there in a while. I got their Orange Chicken, which was really good. And some cheesecake to go, naturally. *g*
I folded last night’s load of laundry and got another load washed, dried and folded, hand-washed dishes, went for a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered.
I read some fanfic and more in Amelia Peabody.
Temps started out at 65.7(F) (we expected it to be 60, but the even warmer temp was a surprise) and reached 70.0. It did rain, but very intermittently.
Mom Update:
I didn’t see mom, but talked to her on the phone. She sounded okay. She’s going to try the radiation. It will be 5 days/week for 5 weeks, which is going to be a frelling pain in the ass, tbh. They told her it might make her nauseated, which didn’t make her happy. I hope she understands that she can opt out at any time.
I told her when she was doing my back that I often got knots around my shoulder blades. She said she was feeling for things like that as she did the massage. My unspoken thought was, how could you possibly feel anything moving that fast?!! (I did get a free ‘enhancement’ (aromatherapy lotion) for my birthday, even though it was last month, so that was nice.)
I hit five stores while I was in the area and only managed to get something from two of them. I wanted to get Christmas-present calendars from the calendar store, but the calendar store no longer stocks All The Calendars, just games and toys. *deep disappointment* I will have to wait until the first week of October when the kiosk goes up, or just order them online. I was looking forward to having that task finished. (I ended up ordering them online, so the task ~is finished.)
ETA: I forgot to mention that I got lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. I had a gift certificate and hadn't been there in a while. I got their Orange Chicken, which was really good. And some cheesecake to go, naturally. *g*
I folded last night’s load of laundry and got another load washed, dried and folded, hand-washed dishes, went for a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered.
I read some fanfic and more in Amelia Peabody.
Temps started out at 65.7(F) (we expected it to be 60, but the even warmer temp was a surprise) and reached 70.0. It did rain, but very intermittently.
Mom Update:
I didn’t see mom, but talked to her on the phone. She sounded okay. She’s going to try the radiation. It will be 5 days/week for 5 weeks, which is going to be a frelling pain in the ass, tbh. They told her it might make her nauseated, which didn’t make her happy. I hope she understands that she can opt out at any time.
TV Talk: Hudson & Rex 8.01 Into the Wilds (aka, probably the last H&R ep I will ever watch)
Sep. 23rd, 2025 03:52 pmThe Day in Spikedluv (Monday, Sept 22)
Sep. 23rd, 2025 08:14 amspikedluvI hit Walmart and Agway while I was downtown and got in a walk around the park. I also picked up Chinese for lunch.
I did three loads of laundry (the third got left in the dryer), hand-washed dishes, went for a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and shaved.
I had a video call with a dermatologist about a bump that keeps forming on my cheek. It used to stay for about 6 weeks, then leave for a couple of months, then come back . . . (My PCP said it had to do with poor drainage, but it's just weird that it suddenly started happening and the timing is so strange, so I finally decided I wanted a second opinion.)
Now that I've scheduled an appointment, of course it only stays for a week or so. Naturally it wasn't showing when I had the video call, but I had thought to take some photos of it, so sent them to the doctor. He's going to get back to me. May have already, but I haven't seen a notification for the my chart thingie.
I read some fanfic and started the next Amelia Peabody.
Temps started out at 47.8(F) (still cold, but 10 degrees warmer than yesterday!) and reached 80.1!! I wore capris and a t-shirt this morning because I knew it was going to get hot later on. After having the forecast show zero rain, we suddenly have five days of rain coming up, starting tomorrow. We need it, but I still hate having to do my errands and running around in the rain.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing pretty good today. ( more back here )
I did three loads of laundry (the third got left in the dryer), hand-washed dishes, went for a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and shaved.
I had a video call with a dermatologist about a bump that keeps forming on my cheek. It used to stay for about 6 weeks, then leave for a couple of months, then come back . . . (My PCP said it had to do with poor drainage, but it's just weird that it suddenly started happening and the timing is so strange, so I finally decided I wanted a second opinion.)
Now that I've scheduled an appointment, of course it only stays for a week or so. Naturally it wasn't showing when I had the video call, but I had thought to take some photos of it, so sent them to the doctor. He's going to get back to me. May have already, but I haven't seen a notification for the my chart thingie.
I read some fanfic and started the next Amelia Peabody.
Temps started out at 47.8(F) (still cold, but 10 degrees warmer than yesterday!) and reached 80.1!! I wore capris and a t-shirt this morning because I knew it was going to get hot later on. After having the forecast show zero rain, we suddenly have five days of rain coming up, starting tomorrow. We need it, but I still hate having to do my errands and running around in the rain.
Mom Update:
Mom was doing pretty good today. ( more back here )
More books. IDEK know myself, LOL.
Sep. 22nd, 2025 12:18 pmglitteryvRe-Reads. HUH.
None for now.
I DNF'd
I actually finished everything I started. O__O
Had an awesome time at first (but it all went downhill from there)
* Away Games by Misha Horne (M/M Romance) - A 35k novella that takes place a few months after the ending of Book 2. It has too much football (including an excess of practice and game scenes). The last chapter is a ridic (yet sweet) long porny scene between Caleb and Logan that segues into them talking abt their futures post-high school.
To me, the whole thing read like an epilogue draft since it didn't add anything new to Logan and Caleb's story and it wasn't far enough in the future (say, during their second year of university) to make any kind of impact. I gave this a 2 out of 5.
* She Didn't See It Coming by Shari LaPena (Mystery) - Bryden is happily married to Sam. They have pretty good careers, are the parents of a sweet 3-y.o., and seem to have a fab life. That is, until Bryden disappears...
Extremely readable novel. Good writing (no typos or weird turn of phrases.) Having read most of this author's books, I knew that I was in for domestic suspense, a whole lotta POVs (10 different characters in this novel), and some O___o kind of drama.
I wasn't AS taken with the mystery as I was with the MESSINESS of everything else.
Starting with 2 super chaotic evil characters who were fun to read abt. Even though they gave me the impression to have come in from a totally different book. There's also a 3rd character whose life went off the rails at some point...and that whole thing was never resolved?
Finally, a fourth character had a v. late in the book turn that made me ?????. And, to explain why, I gotta
This fourth character is not only an abuser, but also a functional drug addict (Oxycontin). This is revealed in the next-to-last chapter and grants that character a full alibi (?!). This character--who has their own POV chapters--is never shown to be thinking abt drugs and/or getting high nor experience any type of physical withdraw from, again, their everyday usage.
It was v. odd that there were no hints abt this from the fourth character or anyone else who also had POVs. This was so UNBELIEVABLE that I 🙄 as the book came to a close.
Had I not been familiar with this author's usual style and that I had borrowed this from the library, I'd have probably DNF'd this book. Although I'm not quite putting this author on 'reader probation' yet, I will reconsider after reading whatever she publishes next. I gave this a 2.3 out of 5.
* Those We Run From by Fiona Zedde (F/F Romantic Suspense) - After finding out that Tilly, her ex-girlfriend from 20 or years ago, is on a hit list, almost-retired assassin Sterling heads to Miami to protect her and find out who wants her ex dead...
OTOH, this book had a v. diverse (in terms of race, sexuality, and gender) cast. I also really liked that the majority of the characters were 39+ years old. Oh, and the author can write actions scenes (including gunfights, knife fights, etc.) really well. She's got a knack for timing and describing the goings on.
OTOH, I had three issues with this 120-page novella.
1. The worldbuilding was incomplete. This story takes place in Miami (FL), the Bahamas, and southern Georgia. But there was no actual sense of place. Like, whenever the story moved to Miami, characters would inevitably think or say "wow, it's so hot/humid." And that was abt it. Same with the Bahamas.
2. Given the premise, i was ready for some goofiness plotwise. But then, a little near the halfway point, when the reason why Tilly has been targeted is revealed, the book moves on permanently to DEEPLY UNSERIOUS LAND. I mentally threw my hands in the air and said "I guess?!", NGL.
3. This last thing is the main reason why I gave it such a low ranking. This involves a mild spoiler w/r/t one of the MCs, but I don't consider it worthy of hiding behind a spoiler tag. Though, again, this is gonna be a MILD SPOILER.
So it turns out that Tilly has a twin sister named Nora. They've never gotten along and it's been a while since they've spoken with each other.
The book never uses words like autistic, autism, etc. However, it's clear that Nora is neurodivergent. The issue is the extremely negative way autism is shown. Especially when the chapter is from Tilly's POV.
Examples from Chapter 21 after Nora shows up. This is 100% from Tilly's POV (Emphasis mine):
They start talking:
And the conversation continues with Nora talking and Tilly being judgy and on the defensive for no reason at all. The book does show Nora interacting with other characters just fine? There's one specific (but v., v. spoilery) convo Nora has with another character in which the other character never remarks on how 'odd' or 'robot-like' Nora is talking to them. So it's basically a Tilly-only issue, IMO.
At best, the way this book approaches a neurodivergent character is quite off-putting and, at worst, is truly worrisome and weird.
On top of that, it simply does not make any sense that Tilly, a 39-y.o. character who works with a variety of clients (she's a boudoir photographer) AND who has a really colorful group of friends AND gives the impression of being quite a worldly character wouldn't know or even consider the existence of autism. Especially in relation to her twin sister. Keep in mind that the story takes place in our world in contemporary times. That's all I'm saying.
ETA: I think I wouldn't have had as much of a problem if one of two things had happened:
1. If Tilly and Nora had been raised in an ultraconservative and super religious community. Since those types of groups tend to avoid/disregard anything that wouldn't be considered "normal".
OR
2. If the story has been set anywhere in the 1970s to 1980s. At those times, the general population's awareness of ADHD, dislexia, autism, etc was v. limited and prejudiced.
But that's not what happened here.
FTR, I was super grossed out by this part of the story, but it was such a short novella that I ended up. No idea if I'll read anything else by this author. I gave this a 1 out of 5.
Good vibes all around
* Comfort Me, Daddy by Misha Horne (M/M Romance) - the 444-age sequel to Hurt Me, Daddy. Logan has moved in with Caleb. There's a big chemistry test he HAS to pass if he wants his scholarship to continue AND some v. important football games he's gotta train for...
The writing continued to be good (no typos, no weird turn of phrase, etc.). There was enough space in the book for Logan to get some more character development. Which isn't to say that he became suddenly mature, but that he had changed (for the better) when it came to his self-esteem and relation to the world. Another thing that was v. clear was how much care this author had in creating all of the characters. Logan, Caleb, Walker, Ellis, and the rest of the guys had distinct personalities and behaviors and that made all of their interactions pretty interesting to follow along.
Most of the Logan/Caleb scenes (both in and out of bed) were fun and/or spicy.
OTOH, the author could've deleted 100-150 pages. Like, the author could've gotten rid of 8 or so chapters (out of 40) and tightened the story a lot.
Then there's a late-in-the-book dramarama involving Logan's mother. It felt kinda spliced into the book because there hadn't been anything working up to it. That said, I figured the author felt it necessary to give Logan some kind of closure regarding that aspect of his life? IDK.
Finally, I finished the book feeling quite dissatisfied with Caleb as an MC. There was so happening (and a lot of it being terrible) to Logan in the first book, that Caleb's steady and focused presence was v. welcomed. However, this book really showed that Caleb (both as a Daddy and as himself) had an infinite amount of patience (as well as all of the answers, I guess.) It flattened him as a character. I wish there had been at least one scene, moment, chapter in which Caleb had an off/bad day. If only to balance out all of the scenes of him being the perfect boyfriend.
Because, even though his care, love, and support of Logan made him a likable character, he didn't have anything else to him as a person. YMMV. I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5.
Current fic tally
Have picked up 160 fics, DNF'd 78
Some Thoughts
Not much in terms of satisfying reads, but I'm not actively regretting picking up most of the books (I still 😒 at Those We Run From, tho.) Thankfully, i have avoided falling into a reading slump, so I'm calling this a win (of sorts, LOL.)
Up Next...
Last time: "I'm now halfway thru the second book of the "The Brat and The Beast" duology, a mystery/thriller, a queer femdom (?) M/F set in space, and a historical paranormal that is NOT cozy."
Finished the first two books, am halfway thru the third one (which is NOT set in space)--though IDK if I'll finish it, and ended up renewing the fourth book before it was due back to the library. I'm also in the middle of another book which is the last one in a series. 🤞🏾 for good reading ahead!
None for now.
I DNF'd
I actually finished everything I started. O__O
Had an awesome time at first (but it all went downhill from there)
* Away Games by Misha Horne (M/M Romance) - A 35k novella that takes place a few months after the ending of Book 2. It has too much football (including an excess of practice and game scenes). The last chapter is a ridic (yet sweet) long porny scene between Caleb and Logan that segues into them talking abt their futures post-high school.
To me, the whole thing read like an epilogue draft since it didn't add anything new to Logan and Caleb's story and it wasn't far enough in the future (say, during their second year of university) to make any kind of impact. I gave this a 2 out of 5.
* She Didn't See It Coming by Shari LaPena (Mystery) - Bryden is happily married to Sam. They have pretty good careers, are the parents of a sweet 3-y.o., and seem to have a fab life. That is, until Bryden disappears...
Extremely readable novel. Good writing (no typos or weird turn of phrases.) Having read most of this author's books, I knew that I was in for domestic suspense, a whole lotta POVs (10 different characters in this novel), and some O___o kind of drama.
I wasn't AS taken with the mystery as I was with the MESSINESS of everything else.
Starting with 2 super chaotic evil characters who were fun to read abt. Even though they gave me the impression to have come in from a totally different book. There's also a 3rd character whose life went off the rails at some point...and that whole thing was never resolved?
Finally, a fourth character had a v. late in the book turn that made me ?????. And, to explain why, I gotta
dive into FULL SPOILERS
This fourth character is not only an abuser, but also a functional drug addict (Oxycontin). This is revealed in the next-to-last chapter and grants that character a full alibi (?!). This character--who has their own POV chapters--is never shown to be thinking abt drugs and/or getting high nor experience any type of physical withdraw from, again, their everyday usage.
It was v. odd that there were no hints abt this from the fourth character or anyone else who also had POVs. This was so UNBELIEVABLE that I 🙄 as the book came to a close.
Had I not been familiar with this author's usual style and that I had borrowed this from the library, I'd have probably DNF'd this book. Although I'm not quite putting this author on 'reader probation' yet, I will reconsider after reading whatever she publishes next. I gave this a 2.3 out of 5.
* Those We Run From by Fiona Zedde (F/F Romantic Suspense) - After finding out that Tilly, her ex-girlfriend from 20 or years ago, is on a hit list, almost-retired assassin Sterling heads to Miami to protect her and find out who wants her ex dead...
OTOH, this book had a v. diverse (in terms of race, sexuality, and gender) cast. I also really liked that the majority of the characters were 39+ years old. Oh, and the author can write actions scenes (including gunfights, knife fights, etc.) really well. She's got a knack for timing and describing the goings on.
OTOH, I had three issues with this 120-page novella.
1. The worldbuilding was incomplete. This story takes place in Miami (FL), the Bahamas, and southern Georgia. But there was no actual sense of place. Like, whenever the story moved to Miami, characters would inevitably think or say "wow, it's so hot/humid." And that was abt it. Same with the Bahamas.
2. Given the premise, i was ready for some goofiness plotwise. But then, a little near the halfway point, when the reason why Tilly has been targeted is revealed, the book moves on permanently to DEEPLY UNSERIOUS LAND. I mentally threw my hands in the air and said "I guess?!", NGL.
3. This last thing is the main reason why I gave it such a low ranking. This involves a mild spoiler w/r/t one of the MCs, but I don't consider it worthy of hiding behind a spoiler tag. Though, again, this is gonna be a MILD SPOILER.
So it turns out that Tilly has a twin sister named Nora. They've never gotten along and it's been a while since they've spoken with each other.
The book never uses words like autistic, autism, etc. However, it's clear that Nora is neurodivergent. The issue is the extremely negative way autism is shown. Especially when the chapter is from Tilly's POV.
Examples from Chapter 21 after Nora shows up. This is 100% from Tilly's POV (Emphasis mine):
It was bizarre seeing her sister again. Hearing her talk. They were identical in looks, but in temperament, in the way they processed things, were as different as dawn and midday. No doctor had been able to explain why. Nora was the analytical and brilliant one their parents never stopped praising. The one who was an ice cube but excelled at everything academic from her very first exam.
They start talking:
Tilly swallowed a few times. "What exactly do you mean by showing up here?"
"I made a gamble I shouldn't have and didn't factor in that I might have been gambling with your life, too." Nora faintly grimaced.
The scream crawled higher in Tilly's throat. "you talking to me like a robot isn't making the situation clearer."
"This is how i talk. There is no other way I can express myself."
That much was true. Tilly let out another sigh. [...]"
And the conversation continues with Nora talking and Tilly being judgy and on the defensive for no reason at all. The book does show Nora interacting with other characters just fine? There's one specific (but v., v. spoilery) convo Nora has with another character in which the other character never remarks on how 'odd' or 'robot-like' Nora is talking to them. So it's basically a Tilly-only issue, IMO.
At best, the way this book approaches a neurodivergent character is quite off-putting and, at worst, is truly worrisome and weird.
On top of that, it simply does not make any sense that Tilly, a 39-y.o. character who works with a variety of clients (she's a boudoir photographer) AND who has a really colorful group of friends AND gives the impression of being quite a worldly character wouldn't know or even consider the existence of autism. Especially in relation to her twin sister. Keep in mind that the story takes place in our world in contemporary times. That's all I'm saying.
ETA: I think I wouldn't have had as much of a problem if one of two things had happened:
1. If Tilly and Nora had been raised in an ultraconservative and super religious community. Since those types of groups tend to avoid/disregard anything that wouldn't be considered "normal".
OR
2. If the story has been set anywhere in the 1970s to 1980s. At those times, the general population's awareness of ADHD, dislexia, autism, etc was v. limited and prejudiced.
But that's not what happened here.
FTR, I was super grossed out by this part of the story, but it was such a short novella that I ended up. No idea if I'll read anything else by this author. I gave this a 1 out of 5.
Good vibes all around
* Comfort Me, Daddy by Misha Horne (M/M Romance) - the 444-age sequel to Hurt Me, Daddy. Logan has moved in with Caleb. There's a big chemistry test he HAS to pass if he wants his scholarship to continue AND some v. important football games he's gotta train for...
The writing continued to be good (no typos, no weird turn of phrase, etc.). There was enough space in the book for Logan to get some more character development. Which isn't to say that he became suddenly mature, but that he had changed (for the better) when it came to his self-esteem and relation to the world. Another thing that was v. clear was how much care this author had in creating all of the characters. Logan, Caleb, Walker, Ellis, and the rest of the guys had distinct personalities and behaviors and that made all of their interactions pretty interesting to follow along.
Most of the Logan/Caleb scenes (both in and out of bed) were fun and/or spicy.
OTOH, the author could've deleted 100-150 pages. Like, the author could've gotten rid of 8 or so chapters (out of 40) and tightened the story a lot.
Then there's a late-in-the-book dramarama involving Logan's mother. It felt kinda spliced into the book because there hadn't been anything working up to it. That said, I figured the author felt it necessary to give Logan some kind of closure regarding that aspect of his life? IDK.
Finally, I finished the book feeling quite dissatisfied with Caleb as an MC. There was so happening (and a lot of it being terrible) to Logan in the first book, that Caleb's steady and focused presence was v. welcomed. However, this book really showed that Caleb (both as a Daddy and as himself) had an infinite amount of patience (as well as all of the answers, I guess.) It flattened him as a character. I wish there had been at least one scene, moment, chapter in which Caleb had an off/bad day. If only to balance out all of the scenes of him being the perfect boyfriend.
Because, even though his care, love, and support of Logan made him a likable character, he didn't have anything else to him as a person. YMMV. I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5.
Current fic tally
Have picked up 160 fics, DNF'd 78
Some Thoughts
Not much in terms of satisfying reads, but I'm not actively regretting picking up most of the books (I still 😒 at Those We Run From, tho.) Thankfully, i have avoided falling into a reading slump, so I'm calling this a win (of sorts, LOL.)
Up Next...
Last time: "I'm now halfway thru the second book of the "The Brat and The Beast" duology, a mystery/thriller, a queer femdom (?) M/F set in space, and a historical paranormal that is NOT cozy."
Finished the first two books, am halfway thru the third one (which is NOT set in space)--though IDK if I'll finish it, and ended up renewing the fourth book before it was due back to the library. I'm also in the middle of another book which is the last one in a series. 🤞🏾 for good reading ahead!
What I Watched September 15 - 21
Sep. 22nd, 2025 01:01 pmfadedwingsNew to me TV:
Bob's Burgers 15x09 & 15x10
High Potential 2x01
Only Murders in the Building 5x04
Re-watched TV:
Community (continuing with season 1)
Movies:
Thunderbolts* (again)
Bob's Burgers 15x09 & 15x10
High Potential 2x01
Only Murders in the Building 5x04
Re-watched TV:
Community (continuing with season 1)
Movies:
Thunderbolts* (again)
Monday [Fandom] Madness! The Fall 2025 TV Viewing Edition
Sep. 22nd, 2025 09:09 amspikedluvI have had trouble keeping up with my summer shows, so it was difficult to get myself to pay any attention to fall programing. The only good thing is that there is only one new show I'm interested in giving a try (and that's only because it's in the 9-1-1 'verse), and there's only a total of four shows on my fall viewing schedule.
( Table back here )
What shows are you looking forward to coming back and/or what new shows are you checking out?
( Table back here )
What shows are you looking forward to coming back and/or what new shows are you checking out?
The Day in Spikedluv (Sunday, Sept 21)
Sep. 22nd, 2025 08:25 amspikedluvI hit Stewart’s on the way home from mom’s, did two loads of laundry (both washed, dried AND folded (or hung up, as the case may be)), hand-washed dishes and ran a load in the dishwasher, went on a couple of walks with Pip and the dogs, baked chicken for the dogs' meals and also cut up chicken for the dog’s meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered.
I finished Key Lime Sky, read some fanfic, and watched an HGTV program.
Temps started out at 37.8(F) (though it must’ve been colder than that because Pip saw some frost on his first walk of the morning) and reached 75.0. I wore leggings and a long-sleeved t-shirt given how cold it was in the morning, and I roasted on our walks in the afternoon.
Mom Update:
Mom was a little more tired today. ( more back here )
I finished Key Lime Sky, read some fanfic, and watched an HGTV program.
Temps started out at 37.8(F) (though it must’ve been colder than that because Pip saw some frost on his first walk of the morning) and reached 75.0. I wore leggings and a long-sleeved t-shirt given how cold it was in the morning, and I roasted on our walks in the afternoon.
Mom Update:
Mom was a little more tired today. ( more back here )
Monday @ 10:54 am
Sep. 22nd, 2025 10:54 amalisxAa-aa-and final part posted, so re-upping this whole thing.
Next step is formatting it all for print but . . . that might be a next year job, hey.