Jenna > Recent Status Updates

I really enjoy Miranda MacLeod's books, but Jordan has so far proved impossible to like. I basically loathe her. How do you cheer for a paparazzo who uses deceit and manipulation to violate the privacy of someone for whom privacy and trust are the most valuable currencies.

It didn't help that Jordan had her "this woman is different from the others, I might feel for her" thought while Abby was drugged and undressed.

I'm not sure why I'm putting this here, but this morning our dog died. He was like a child to us. We adopted him from a shelter in Seattle and he traveled across continents with us all the way to South America, where we now reside.

This morning we went for a walk, he had a seizure, and then he was gone. He was 14. His name was Cooper and he was the sweetest boy I've ever known. I will miss him forever.

I'm super poor right now, so I haven't been reviewing a lot of books. I just finished one of my favorite fanfics for the 8th time, though, so I thought I'd signal boost that. It's a Life is Strange fanfic, and it does require a fair amount of knowledge of the game's characters and story. https://archiveofourown.org/works/568... It's listed as Part 2 of a 3-part series, but it stands on its own.

Just finished the best Supercorp femslash (Kara/Lena from Supergirl) I've ever read: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9130...
And, after the cast's mockery of Supercorp shippers, you damned well better believe I'm going to be reading every bit of it I can get my hands on. I'll love who and what I want to love, thank you very much! (Srsly, though. It's really, really good fanfic.)

Just a heads-up for other sci-fi and fantasy nerds out there, the Humble Book Bundle this week is "Women of Science Fiction and Fantasy." Octavia Butler, Katherine Kurtz, Robin McKinley and some other recognizable names are included. The tiers are: four books for $1, ten books for $8 (with more to be added), and fifteen books for $15. Link: https://www.humblebundle.com/books/wo...

Wow! I did not see that coming!

Jeezus. Graywytch may not be the supervillain of the story, but she's just so much worse; she makes me want to vomit. She's grotesque in the way only a "superhero" TERF could be, especially in a story centered around a trans girl. I hope Danny dropkicks her bigoted ass into the stratosphere. Blech. Please please please please please.

This is so good! I really like the lead characters, the mystery is incredibly creepy (to the point that I occasionally have to put the book down, walk away and do some self-care exercises to calm myself), and there are a large number of convincing suspects. The romance, while still in its infancy, is really sweet, too.

So far so good. I'm a giant nerd, and it feels like this was written just for me. It's possible it's self-published fanfic (it has the all-too-typical blank line between every paragraph, which you don't see in titles from professional publishers), but the quality of writing is fairly good. Really, it's the premise that sold it for me, though: lesbians who fall in love playing Dungeons & Dragons.

I'm having trouble moving forward with this one, despite my love for the previous books in the series. On a scale of 1 to 10, my desire to read about Lhyn getting abducted and tortured is at: Nope. Unfortunately, the trauma she underwent seems to be a major element of the book, so it doesn't feel like it'd be just a matter of skimming over a scene or two.

For anyone who hasn't read it yet, Ylva's giving away A Story of Now on their site, today only (10 December): https://www.ylva-publishing.com/produ... One of my favorite lesrom series!

Okay, I've never plugged a web series on Goodreads before, but that ends today. My partner and I watched all 12 eps. of this last night (first 10 on YouTube), and it was stunning.

https://youtu.be/r6IHJ3SD4Ik?list=PL-...

It's an entirely Indian production, it's beautifully shot, impeccably acted, and has a lovely score. It's YA, but really worth your time if you love lesbian romances.

So, just wrote my 100th review! Okay, that's not a gigantic deal here, but it's still like a small fireworks moment for me. Tiny. It's basically a sparkler. (Still shiny, though!)

I wish Becky Chambers wrote all the books--all the sci-fi books, all the lesbian romances, all the textbooks about Keynesian economics, everything. Her world-building is in a class unto itself and her characters are painted with colors no one else ever even imagined, let alone used. And this is only her second book! Becky Chambers: 2, Sophomore Slumps: 0.

Ohmygod, I am so excited to be starting this! I've been waiting for this for a year! I'm nearly 26, and I'm about to fangirl swoon over it! I'm using so many exclamation points! Okay, leave me alone; I need to eat words now.

Love the protagonist, love her family, love her friends, love the setting, love the premise. This is definitely a YA story, and not a terribly edgy one at that, but it skews nicely into "delightful" territory. Needs one or two more proofreading passes, but I'll let that slide. Some beautiful artwork at the chapter-headers, and it's totally queer-friendly. Hallelujah!

Well, thankfully, Rue has mellowed her vibe a little. The power dynamics of the relationship still feel really off to me, but that's more a matter of personal preference than anything to do with the quality of the writing. This is definitely a dom/sub dynamic, which the first book was not. Totally valid and really works wonderfully for some people, just not for me.

So, Rue. Rue is an overbearing bully. She steamrolls everyone and everything around her, using both forceful language and intimidation. This includes Kelsey. Speaking of whom, Kelsey is genetically driven to be a doormat, soaking up disrespect and punishment wherever it's dished out. Reading this so far has been like watching a future abusive relationship unfold. Not so much my thing.

Hmm. So, early days yet, but the main identifying characteristic I'm picking up for shifters is that they're self-important jerks. Plus side, it means they can probably blend in very well with humans as student loan debt collectors or lobbyists, possibly even investment bankers. Just goes to show you, evolution is weird but effective.

I've loved Lindy West for a long time, and this book is doing an impeccable job of reminding me why. It's a perfect cocktail of insight, empowerment and irreverence. Love. Her. Much.

Okay, so Lilith is the first woman, a supernatural bad-ass, a massive feminist who literally empowers women, and now she's Lara Croft raiding tombs! I am going to marry this book.

Compelling start and a great premise. How did I miss this one?

I want book 2 right now, dammit.

This is really good! No romance to speak of, and what's there ends quickly, but this is a fun ride full of mysteries and conspiracies in an interesting setting full of great characters.

Really enjoying this!

So, I kind of really dislike Shasta, which is a rough thing to be feeling about one of the main characters halfway through the book. She just seems to be a petulant, spiteful child. I do like Talon and the world-building, though, and the book is very well-written. Hopefully Shasta will grow up, but time's kind of running out.

Very enjoyable so far.