Book Bingo 2022: January

Crime or Mystery: Crossed Skis by Carol Carnac (author also known as ECR Lorac). This was a solidly pleasant mystery. Two plots: a ski trip of 16 young people from London to the Austrian Alps and a body found in a fire in London. The detective tracks the person responsible to the ski lodge. Lots of authentic detail of place, which is Carnac's strength. Solid plotting. Enjoyable if a bit pat and predictable end.

Title is at least 5 Words Long: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell. I was pleasantly surprised by this. I really enjoyed it. Thomas de Quincy of opium-eating fame and his daughter are the protagonists and they are assisting the police in their inquiries into a bloody set of murders that are connected to the Ratcliffe Highway murders forty years earlier. I confess I am not usually enamoured of female characters in the 'spirited modern-thinking mould' but Emily is not obnoxious at all. She is sort of like Evelyn from The Mummy with a lot less 'oops, did I do that?' I would read another in the series. Some quotes:

This is from de Quincy himself, a quote at the beginning of Chapter 1. Design, grouping, light and shade, poetry, and sentiment are indispensable to the ideal murder.

"This is what meant. He [meaning de Quincey] speaks like the fog coming in."

Reaching the stairs, he [the murderer] saw that the page torn from his book awaited him. A note had been penciled onto it: The Opium-Eater came to call and regrets that you weren't at home.

And, of course, I had to collage it!

Snowflake Challenge 2022 #8

Challenge #8

In your own space, celebrate a personal win from the past year: it can be a list of fanworks you're especially proud of, a gift of your time to the community, a quality or skill you cultivated in yourself, something you generally feel went well.

Warning for mention of self-harm/cutting

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For my reference: tarot prompt

GYWO January tarot prompt. I am hoping to do something with this for my psychic wolves fic for petra's lupercanelia.



The Hermit - Solitude, experience, stillness, withdrawal
Eight of Coins - Effort, work diligence, skill
Queen of Swords - Grace, skill, wit, charm, aptitude

Snowflake Challenge #9

Challenge #9

Fandom Wrap Challenge

Last month, Spotify sent out their yearly “Spotify Wrap” - summary of our listening habits over the past year, divided into categories of “Top 5 __”. We don’t have Spotify’s ‘scientific algorithm’ but we can do what we do best - estimate! These rankings are based on TIME spent on a particular item. If one of these categories doesn't apply to you, feel free to skip. You also don't have to list all 5 or just 5. ^_~

And that's not all! If you'd like to make up your own top 5 category, go for it!

You can post your answers without comment/context or you can explain.

What are your top five fandoms for 2021 based on the amount of time you interacted with them?
1. Sherlock Holmes (ACD & BBC Sherlock)
2. The Old Guard
3. BTS
4. Venom
5. Jeeves & Wooster

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Music: Trauermusik by Hindemith

This was too lovely to wait until Monday. It was written in 6 hours in response to the death of King George V.

Watch on YouTube

Snowflake Challenge 2022 #10

Challenge #10

In your own space, rec a fanwork (fic, art, vid, playlist, anything!) you did not create.

I'm not a j-hope/Jungkook (BTS) shipper, but this fic is excellent and hits all my feely, porny, sweet and flirty buttons.

proximity (3470 words) by contra_band
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Jung Hoseok | J-Hope
Characters: Jeon Jungkook, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope
Additional Tags: mention of quarantine, allusion to self-image issues, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Intercrural Sex, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, taint slapping i suppose, Jeon Jungkook is Whipped, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope is Whipped, look this is very tender really, Friends With Benefits, Canon Compliant, lots of sappy feelings too, hobi has a moment about jk's insta story, you know the one about how he's bored and alone
Summary:

"At 8 PM sharp there’s a commotion at the door; Jungkook knows the code to his lock, but Hoseok can hear the bleep that means he’s put it in incorrectly. He’s only wearing some shorts, so he throws on a robe, walks to the hallway and opens the door himself. He takes in Jungkook - bouncing in place, massive puffer jacket rustling, hair falling softly over his eyebrows - and his nipples go tight. Because of the cooler air from the corridor."

Jungkook and Hoseok reunite after quarantine and have lots of very happy sex. That's it, that's the fic.