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It came to my attention that my "who I am" post vanished. So, here it is.

Some of you know me from my LJ days (formerly known as "chickwriter").
Some of you know me from Twitter (I'm no longer there.)
Some of you know me from my professional writing life (though I'm now retired)
Some of you I know from RL.

Other places I am now (as of 2/14/2024)
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thelima.bsky.social (this is my main for now)
Mastodon: https://federatedfandom.net/web/@thelima (this is my secondary)
Discord: chickwriter


This is the place I sometimes post, but am really trying to get better at it.

I still love all things pop culture and am currently obsessed with The Untamed & many other related dramas.

As of 2024, I am now into mixed media art/junk journaling.

Most of my older posts are f'locked - if you want access, please request.

mtl: (Me Ohio1)
So - wow, it's been YEARS since I posted. 

Trying to revamp for fandom reasons. At some point, I need to actually refresh this account, review my icons, etc. etc. etc.

Welcome, fellow fannish folks! 
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I first fell in love with Cat Sebastian's books when a friend recommended The Soldier's Scoundrel. I bought it, devoured it and immediately went looking for more. I just as quickly fell into The Lawrence Browne Affair and was saddened to find out that there were no more books...yet.

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Ruin of a Rake via Edelweiss. I had to force myself to wait to read it, until after I had finished my own writing for the week. I happily opened it up on Saturday and finished it the following morning.

On her website, Cat calls this book her "gay Regency take on the rake-vs.-wallflower trope" - which it is, but it also busts those very tropes by having the wallflower be the more callous man and the rake the more emotional of the two.

As with her other books, I very much loved the story, the characters and the wonderful ending. Chock full of romance, emotions, passion and utterly satisfying.

Her characters are always brilliantly written and layered. Her deft handling of miscommunication (a trope of so many romances) never turns me off--which is not the case in other books I've read. I tend to get exasperated when people don't just bloody talk to each other. In this, as with her other books, the challenges of the relationships are real, and the emotions credible. I know I can count on a good read and a happy ending when I read her books.

Kudos to Cat Sebastian for another excellent read!
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The Furthest Station is a bit of a lagniappe, a light taste of the world of PC Peter Grant and the Folly (of the Special Assessment Unit) served up like a palate-cleansing sherbet without the weight of the regular series.
 
A spate of ghost sightings on the Metropolitan Line bring Peter, his magical cousin Abigail and Janet Kumar of the Transport Police together to navigate Tube rush hours, disappearing (for good!) ghosts and a missing person who may be in danger.
 
Like the other works in this series, Aaronovitch seamlessly blends humor, paranormal and bog standard policing to deliver a satisfying read. This novella is fun, fascinating and a great introduction to the series, even though it's smack dab in the middle of the overarching story. 
 
I'm a sucker for side-stories and loved this fun romp of a novella. I utterly adore Abigail, and hope her role continues to grow in the regular series. For that matter, I'd love to see a companion set of stories, with Abigail as the main character. 
 
If you've not read the other books in the series, you can definitely enjoy this one. If you're already familiar with this world, then The Furthest Station is like ordering extra chocolate sprinkles on your dessert.



Note: I did receive an advanced reader copy
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 Loads of great books and you decide what to pay! Even though I already own several of the books, I am happy to buy the group. 

Info from the site:

This is an admittedly eclectic group — you'll find historical fantasy, contemporary werewolves, superhero adventures, Victorian adventure, a YA ghost story, secondary world fantasies, a noir-inflected war between Heaven and Hell, and a couple of short story collections that individually span just as wide a range — but they are all written by authors at the top of their game. Six Spectrum and Lambda Literary Award finalists and winners are included in the group, and Riley Parra has been turned into a web series by Tello Films (and will debut in July, just after our bundle ends!). You'll also find a diverse group of characters, worlds where the rules of sex and gender are profoundly different from our own, and stories that will hold you entranced until the very last word. 

Get the books here.
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Six WakesSix Wakes by Mur Lafferty

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Holy OMG, Batman!

I'd heard a ton of good things about this book and they are not wrong. First, the cover totally grabbed me (even though I only buy ebooks these days bc of my messed up eyes.) Secondly, loved the whole idea of it.

I use the term "roller-coaster of a book" a lot, especially when it's something like SIX WAKES. It grabbed me from the first page and did not let me go until I was done. I *was* going to just read a few chapters, then do some writing, but nope, that so didn't happen.

Excellent twists, turns, extremely complex characters and plot topped by some fascinating ethical/moral questions - it's just the right kind of tangled, riveting combination that I adore.

If you like great SF, this is a must read!



View all my reviews
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The Bedlam StacksThe Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There are few books that I immediately want to read again immediately, and Natasha Pulley's books are in the top of that category. THE BEDLAM STACKS absolutely reinforced the fact that Pulley is a genius with words, painting imagery, characters and setting with a delicate, yet strong touch. There's this undefinable sense of otherwordliness that permeates the novel and pulls the reader in almost immediately, not letting go until the final sentence. What a wonderful, magical ride! I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to re-read it!



View all my reviews

Note: I received this as a free review copy from Netgalley.




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