April 2022 Update (Patreon)

This one is coming later than usual because this month has been awful. My Mom's best friend got COVID and ended up in the hospital. Then my Mom got COVID and I was afraid both for her and thought I'd get it- just as a friend was coming over to stay at my place for the weekend with their fiance and little brother to visit their Mom, who's in a care facility. I took a day off work to get tested, my friend decided to come since I had no symptoms, the entire weekend had a lot of things go on but I was on Spring Break after at least! Except I still had another job and had a vacation planned so I had to scramble to get grading and liveblogging done before I left.

But now I'm back! And my mental health still isn't doing well! Nobody wants to be around me! But I'm here!

I'm watching a lot of anime this season, you might have noticed from tumblr- Spy x Family, Kaguya Season 3, Bookworm S3, The Executioner and Her Way of Life, Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie, Birdie Wing: Golf Girl's Story and recently, Healer Girl. Needing a lot of escapism right now! A lot! I'm enjoying all of them, though I guess the caveats I'd mention would be that Executioner leans on a lot of annoying standard Yuri-that-really-wants-to-court-straight-men tropes (I know that oversimplifies it because anyone can enjoy those tropes, but that's just how it feels) though the direction  and compelling story keep things solid. I talked a bit about it on tumblr.

 Birdie Wing is absolutely a low budget show that might collapse any second, but it's so off the wall anime bullshit I'm all in- literally the main character is in an illegal underground golf ring, claims she "doesn't golf, just hits ball with sticks" like that's a badass thing to say, and shoots a golf ball through a moving train in the first ep. My main objection to it is it tried to pretend these characters are 15 and they absolutely don't act this way and all come off as early 20s? But anime, whatever.

Shikimori might be a little tepid for most, and definitely doesn't have great comedic timing when it tries to do gags, but I dunno, I just in the mood for cute slice of life about a girl being cool and saving her hapless partner, I'm here for it. Healer Girl is also just really cute. Cute girls singing, healing, and being charming while being mentored by cool adult ladies.. Magical Girl Adjacent. The other shows speak for themselves, I've talked about them, and if you're interested in anime you've heard how good Spy x Family is.

Other than that, you've noticed from my blog I really liked Our Flag Means Death, yes it's queer and my kind of comedy (dramady?). I've been watching Abbott Elementary, it's cute too! Still Pokemon'ing. 

Bookwise, Loveless was great! I just finished Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik- read a couple other books too, but that was the one I really liked. It's got the dark fairy tale vibe I adore and managed to depict a harsh world without tipping into "too grim, stopped caring" territory, and I liked all the characters and different perspectives. It would have been a 10/10 if not for the VERY end- but me not vibing with that turn of events was very much a personal taste thing, it was not like it wasn't built up to, and I don't object to it being 'problematic'- it just wasn't something I could really buy.

I reread Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire and wasn't as wowed by it as I was several years ago, but do really love its concept of portal children unhappy at being thrust back into their original words, so I'm going to take a look at the sequels now- especially the one that's like, a big Sailor Moon reference.

 Enjoyed the first volume of Catch These Hands, a manga about two former rival delinquent girls reuniting as adults, one reveals she was crushing during all those battles and they enter a...relationship? Maybe? You know me and delinquent girls- this was Nev catnip, and it was cute.

The second draft of the novel's at roughly 64,500 words, not counting the partially rewritten large section I'm working on right now. Not as much progress as I'd like, but it's been a shit month. We continue approaching the in-depth climax portion rewrite. Considering doing a short story, so that might lead to more pausing.

Jobwise, will start looking for a new second one during the break between terms for my admin one and after my Young Adult class ends. Not looking forward to it!