Dancing is just walking with style

Apr. 10th, 2026 03:49 pm
shadowhive: (Steve Call)
[personal profile] shadowhive
So yesterday was the trip to Birmingham to see Death On The Nile.

Going round the town beforehand was kinda eh, mostly due of time/money. Not helped by mum seeing a trail thing for pet food at the station and getting us signed up for it before realising how much it was (trial price was just under £20, which is half off which is crazy). I’d have probably gone to the big hmv (I was looking for something in the sale, the bullring hmv didn’t have it and it’s out of stock online) but being with mum made me reluctant cause of how far away it was and how achy she’s been lately.

I did check in the odeon for the Mario luma things but alas, they had none. (Same with McDonald’s they didn’t have Mario toys, despite me asking specifically before paying for them). We only went in McDonald’s cause mum had a voucher but ugh. The usual veggie thing I used to have isn’t there anymore and I had a mcplant and hated it. Ugh.

For the forbidden planet by the theatre I got the new Maul comic, plus a Fantastic Four First Steps one. (Alas no Strange Buildings, or Exquisite Corpses 11 but I still need to catch up on it)

Before the show we picked up a theatre guide and there’s an Open Day next month. It’s on free comic book day so I booked us in so we’ll have that to do. (It’s a little vague on the details but should be interesting.) also in there were getting Annie with La Voix (I dunno if I’m interested enough to see it but it’s pretty cool) and Paranormal Activity (I’m kinda curious, like how do you make a found footage film a stage performance?) it’s gonna be there late October, with a ghost tour thing after some performances so I might try for it.

The show itself was really good! It was done by the same people that did Murder On The Orient Express, with the same guy playing Poirot (and there’s a new adaption by them of The Hollow which is good to have a lesser adapted work). The staging was really well done as they’d got it set up as two levels, so it was set up like two decks of a ship. At first it looked like the upper floor was just a walkway with railings, but it could be opened up into a full room too! That was really cool.

The story mostly plays out how previous adaptions were done (I say it that way cause I’ve not read the book yet) but there were some notable differences. The first was the boat trip also included the return of a sarcophagus (a prop which looked rather nice). This meant that there was a scene of Linnet getting trap inside it after posing for a photo inside. (I’m guessing that this was done as it’s difficult to have a side trip to to ruins with masonry to fall on stage.) It did work out pretty well.

The second was Salome Otterbourne, who was a former novelist now attempting to be an actor. She also had a lil of the kleptomaniac traits of Marie from other adaptions (her and Miss Bowers were some of the characters omitted). Most notable was that she didn’t die. In fact only Linnet was the only victim. That did mean the second half did feel a bit more streamlined, but it still worked well.

(Oddly though there were lots of seats, we were the only ones on our section of the row and no one was in front which felt odd)

On the train journey I finished off Hawkins Horrors. As a whole it was pretty good! Anthologies of spooky stories (which this was) tend to be a mixed bag but they were all pretty strong. Even the weakest one (Lucas’ Two Lunches) was still pretty good. I wish Steve and Robin each had their own stories instead of sharing one (even though it was one of the good ones!).

When I got back, after watching Taskmaster, I got hit by a wave of tiredness which ended up adding sadness which… eh wasn’t great, I put on an audio to distract but couldn’t focus, then zoned out and went to bed.

Alas this morning we went to see if the ducklings were there but no sign of them. I’m assuming they were in the reeds hiding, since we didn’t see any female ducks either. It’s a shame cause I took my pad for pics but I had a feeling I’d not see them cause of that.

(I also didn’t watch The Copenhagen Test Wednesday, getting sidetracked by qsmp so that’s something I’ve gotta watch)

Next few days/week I wanna get back to watching stuff. I’ve got a few things I wanna finish (Heated Rivalry, The Beauty, The Amazing Digital Circus) before starting other things. I also wanna finish Welcome To Derry and get back to American Horror Story, both of which I’ve put off. Maybe when my mindset is better, I know I’ll need it for Welcome To Derry.

I also wanna try and set a day for blu ray watching but we’ll see if I can settle on a day.

Now though I’m gonna bundle, maybe ponder and game.

(no subject)

Apr. 10th, 2026 01:10 pm
turps: (no words)
[personal profile] turps
Bodhi and Kayleigh dropped in for a little while yesterday. While here Bodhi went and stood in front of the shelves in the living room and asked why I had all of that stuff, meaning my display of Funkos. So, I explained, like her, I liked superheroes, at which point she said, if I liked superheroes where was Spider-Man? Sorry various Hawkeyes, Ronin, Winter Soldier etc, you're just not superheroes enough it seems. But sigh, judged by a four-year-old and found lacking again.

The craft fair on Monday was a weird one. Despite being there from before nine to four, the time seemed to fly, and yet we only made one sale, so didn't even get the table price back. Mainly it was due to location, when we'd first been offered a spot it was mentioned there were tables outside and inside, and while that was true, there was actually only one table inside, the rest being in the pub garden, so it wasn't very often people actually saw the one in the foyer at the back. Which of course, was the one we'd been assigned. I mean, it was good to be warm with some decent music to listen to, but you need people for sales.

One bonus was the pub was just over the car park from a Morrisons, so I went there for two meal deals for dinner, because nearly £5 for one drink of Pepsi Max from the pub was only going to happen once.

The organiser did ask if James wanted a table at the next event, but thankfully, it's the same date as the monthly maker's market in our town we always attend, so we didn't have to make up an excuse to turn down the invite.

A couple of people have been reading and commenting on many of my bandom stories lately, and getting those comments has been delightful. I especially liked the one on Painted Ponies where they commented, and when i replied, replied to that comment with even more detailed feedback, saying they'd thought I'd have been long gone from the fandom. And nope, despite the lack of actual writing, still love that ridiculous band, still hanging onto to the edges of the fandom with a few other fandom bandom olds.

Funnily enough, the last comment was on Caged where the band is saved by Spider-Man, adding to the Spidey mentions this week.

I was in Lush the other day buying a bunny bath bomb for Bodes, and they had these sparkly ET bath bombs )
kitewithfish: (Default)
[personal profile] kitewithfish

Personal update: I have indulged – I got a Kobo ereader to replace my somewhat elderly Kindle Paperwhite. It has BUTTONS - actual, physical buttons! It’s so nice and the lighting is good, and I am at last free from the Amazon ecosystem. On the downside, a good deal of the fic that I have saved for myself the last few years in ebook form was transmitted to the Kindle as emailed attachments, and so I have a new part time job of saving and converting all of those and sending them to the Kobo.

What I’ve Read
Gaudy Night – Dorothy Sayers – I finished this slowly, in writing, and I am glad I took the time. This book is a wonderful summation of the series, giving space for Harriet’s introspection and allowing her to slowly come to terms with her own growing trust in her own judgment. It’s full of allusion, jokes, and self-reflection. I often fall back on the metaphor of fiction as light striking a jewel – a skilled writer can draw out subtle meanings and highlight contrast by what facets are lit by the writer’s attention.  By the end of this book both Harriet and Peter are illuminated. Wonderful book, glad I decided to give the series a proper and slow read-thru rather than just goof around.

Sidebar: I have an exacting requirement about English writers, which is that I want them to show their work – I want to see them thinking about what it means To Be English in their works, rather than taking their Englishness for a universal and inevitable norm, like gravity or light. In the case of Sayers, it often takes the form of thinking about time, about changes, about class, about academics, about social roles, about dignity and decency and what is or is not “done.” This book makes me see a vision of Oxford as Harriet Vane loved it, and I think that’s very worthwhile.

Busman’s Honeymoon – Dorothy Sayers – I am glad I picked this up so soon after Gaudy Night! They are very close in time. This book is fascinating because the beginning frame is an epistolary section from Peter and Harriet’s friends and family about how happy they are to see them married, the middle of the book starts as a sort of cozy “murder in a locked cottage” mystery, and then the ending is a gradual examination of what it costs Peter, as a human being, to send another person to be tried and executed for their crimes. It’s book about marriage, and figuring out how to be in a life together with someone else, with all their scars and foibles, and how to do it honorably, without pulling them into being your plaything. It’s moderately incredible and also tonally complex in a way that Sayers’s earlier detective novels just wasn’t. Honestly, great and nothing like I was expecting.

The Orb of Cairado
by Katherine Addison – I didn’t know this was a murder mystery, and I think that works because the main character didn’t know either, until he was well into it. It’s short and sweet and mostly complete, and delves into a bit of the social reaction to the reign of Emperor Edrehasivar VII aka, Maia the protagonist of the first novel in this series. Orb does not stand up on its own without that book, and I suspect it does not stand up without the Witness for the Dead novels, and since I have read all of those multiple times, I don’t mind. I am not sure if this book is a cash grab from Addison or an attempt at a palette cleanser, but I can't tell if its successful because I can't tell why she wanted to write it. I also don’t think it holds up well against Sayers (unfair comparison, who could??) and I would not have read them so close together if I had known it was a murder mystery. 

Sidebar: This is the third time Addison/Monette has linked being a gay man with murder, that I know of. I rather wish she were a little inclined to ponder if there’s something there, there.

Honorable mention – not a novel, but this excellent fic based in Much Ado About Nothing made me very happy – Reprise by Perennial - https://archiveofourown.org/works/26980378


What I’m Reading
The Fabric of Civilization – Virginia Postrel. The deeper we get into this book, the more interested and niche the information gets. I had some background in textile history – New England children all get a visit to a fabric mill and a maple sugar shack as mandatory field trips, and we also got a background in the Bread and Roses textile workers' strikes in school – so I think I am perhaps unusually versed for the average person on the history of textiles up to and immediately into the 1800s. That said, this was the first time someone really explained the mechanism that punch cards looms DO to make the punch cards impact the cloth, and that alone was worth the price of admission. I was listening to the audiobook but switched to the digital text when I realized I was missing the PICTURES.

What I’ll Read Next

Sunshine (Robin McKinley, a re-read)
Catching Fire

Knitting reflections – I just got the notice that the next Sock Madness pattern is a heel-up pattern, not unlike the Hyrde Sokker I recently did for fun. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hyrde-sokker I really enjoy this style of heel-up, in the round sock, as I find it has a comfy padded heel and a high instep without too much fussing. My first pair were these Nordwand socks, one of the few times I am pleased I was briefly on TikTok. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nordwand-socksI’m kicking doing this round just because I do actually want these socks for my own. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/whisky-ahoi


Frontios buries it’s own dead

Apr. 8th, 2026 01:54 am
shadowhive: (Lothcat Sleepy)
[personal profile] shadowhive
Time for a post that’s equal parts random rambling and who rambling.

The rest of easter weekend was mostly low energy, spent nomming eggs and not doing too much.

Saturday night I watched The Mortuary Assistant on shudder and… it didn’t really hit for me. I’m not sure what it was, maybe it was just cause I was tired but I just didn’t really vibe with it. The effects were pretty good though and there was some scares were good but… I dunno. Sometimes that is what it is.

Sunday was dnd and I am just so baffled. Not by the decision itself but by the dice. I have the dice I use for the session (it started as one set, then became 2) in a dice tray that I keep up but slowly they have dwindled down. First it was Leia knocking them and I still haven’t found them but they’ve still gone after that.mthis time I went to roll and… there wasn’t a d20. In fact there were just 5 dice left. Thankfully there was another to hand but I’m so baffled

(I had hoped to find an on theme dice set at the con but I got sidetracked by mystery sets instead, cause the first set I got was a mystery set and was on brand [and is one of the sets that are awol])

Anyway, my focus has been off again so I’ve not wrote like I hoped (or done the music psot which should hopefully be soon, this weekend soon

But! I did finish listening to the Torchwood audio I picked up on sale awhile back (I think it was with the advent sale?) which was Torchwood Soho Parasite. I listened to the first half around when I was sick, but I dunno why I delayed finishing it so long. It was really good though! Horrific and twisted at times, especially in one part which has a flashback to the aftermath of nazi experiments (cause yeah this is set just after world war 2). And I did love the new character of Lizbeth, she’s woefully under appreciated by her superiors (mainly cause she didn’t want anything to do with aforementioned nazi experiments, but she’s also a woman and a lesbian so those also played a part). And Norton is fun I love him and Sgt Andy and the other new guy Lyme. It has made me wanna listen to the rest of the series, there’s 3 more boxsets so I’m gonna keep an eye out if they come in sales.

Speaking of Doctor Who (or adjacent at least) last night I watched the next Who ray episode which was Frontios. Frontios is sone of those scenarios that Doctor Who has done a few times: it’s the far future re and the last humans are in being menaced by an outside force. In this case said humans are the survivors of a crashed ship, eking out an existence on the titular Frontios. If that’s not bad enough meteors keep hitting the colony and the earth is hungry…

There’s a lot to like with this one. The sets look really good, Turlough has a nice plot line (having race memories of the villains) and there’s nice visuals of the tardis console room in the tunnels. I also really like the doctor here, how he didn’t want to get involved but since he was there he can’t help but help. (Which did make me wonder why he was so reluctant, did he know something about Frontios?)

It was funny to me that this was meant to be a last colony of humans… and there were only two women shown clearly on screen. The gender balance is an issue with older who but did felt a little glaring here.

The tractators were a nice concept, their designs based on wood lice, but alas the restraints of production went against them, meaning all they could really do is shuffle around, not looking terribly threatening. (A shame cause they are pretty devious). Clearly they’ve had some dealings with time lords before too, knowing what a tardis is and being so sure the doctor was sent specifically to stop them.

I did watch the making of after and it was nice to see the guy that played the Plantagenet big uo Sarah Jane Adventures (he guest starred in an ep) which makes me wanna finally do a run again. It was also shocking that one of the guest actors had to be changed last minute, because the original actor got murdered!

But it was a pretty good ep, grim of course cause of the setting and concepts, but it’s good. Next time is Resurrection of the daleks which, obviously features the daleks.

But back agin, on Monday I watched the first eps of the new Maul series and I’m intrigued so far. Yeah when it was announced I was a bit eh, mostly cause I’m sick of stuff in the rise of the empire era and want stuff outside of it. But so far it is really good, I like the vibes of Maul getting revenge on people that screwed him over and that it’s set on a world seemingly outside the empire (there’s a cop character and he doesn’t want the empire involved, even though facial rec flagged Maul), I’m curious to see how it pans out cause it is so great so far! And looks so nice. And he has a delightfully devious droid.

Also I’ve finally got back to Fake Documentary Q. The Last Countdown was a bit ?? But a film Inferno was so so creepy with that cave.

Today is mostly gonna be a rest day. I’m gonna try Pokémon Champions, then tonight I’m gonna see what the Copenhagen Test is like. Tomorrow is a trip out, we’ve got theatre tickets for Death On The Nile so it’s mostly just gonna be go and see that and look at stuff. (Timing is terrible for a trip really, especially since the vacuum has fucked up but ah well)

Monday is gonna be the cinema trip for Exit 8. It was funny that, until quite late yesterday, the listings for the day were just two showings of Exit 8 (a second got added the other day) and one other thing. I might be seeing undertone with it, but that means it’s gonna be a late night like They Will Kill You/Ready Or Not. I dunno why they’re only having Undertone to have late night showings but ah well.

I started this post before walking Naryu and now I’m back I wanna end this by going ahh! We went to see the ducks, cause we haven’t been there in awhile (causa bad weather/roadworks blocking the way) but we went today and ahh! There were ducklings! 12 of them! Of course I didn’t have anything to take pics of them but will try Friday.

Journeys through time and space

Apr. 4th, 2026 06:40 pm
shadowhive: (Goose Bell)
[personal profile] shadowhive
Yesterday ended up being a kinda tiring day. I was recharging from the late night cinema trip then we had to head out to get some stuff from the co-op (the one by the station not up the road, cause we had a voucher for there).

That meant I didn’t do much yesterday, just watching a random film on tv (Carry On Dick, which makes me wonder are the Carry On films known outside of the uk?), then beyond paradise before zoning out.

This morning I went to town again. I got the little Easter egg make and take from the entertainer, as well as a big plush of Nubs (on clearance, it’s a shame the young Jedi adventures stuff is reduced so often but then I’ve not watched as much of it as I should). Then got some bits for mum before the cinema.

Trailers:
Oddly there were two concert trailers before Arco, one for Billie Eilish, one for BTS. (So BTS fans, check your cinemas there shows being shown) I should really listen to them, I’ve only really heard the few Fortnite songs
Both films had The Mandalorian and Grogu trailer which made me squee. I’m so excite for it.
The Sheep Detective is one of those trailers that’s instantly made me wanna see it. Hugh Jackman is a shepherd who reads to his sheep. When they find him dead they take it on themselves to solve the mystery. I’m so so sold on this. It looks so fun.
Also there was Moana and Michael (Seen before), a new Minions trailer (I wanna see it) and Toy Story 5 which looks like it might be fun.

Onto film thoughts, first for Arco, then Super Mario Galaxy.

Read more... )

I felt too tired to do anything else in town so just came back home (plus it was ten minutes till the next train). Tonight I’m gonna bundle up, then maybe watch or listen to something (after magic arena for the week).

Next cinema trip should be Exit 8!

I need a Shakespeare scholar

Apr. 3rd, 2026 09:38 pm
dhampyresa: (Sarcasm shall be the way)
[personal profile] dhampyresa
What's the proportion of sluts vs non-sluts in Hamlet?

Call that the ho ratio.

(no subject)

Apr. 3rd, 2026 04:30 pm
turps: (Sleep)
[personal profile] turps
The supermarkets are having their Easter veg wars, so I've been stocking up. I have now got multiple boxes of potatoes layered with cardboard and stored in a cool dark place. Plus big paper bags of carrots, parsnips and onions. Well, I say paper bags, they're actually the packaging Amazon uses now, which is perfect for what I want. I also got three huge heads of broccoli yesterday morning and have three massive turnips.

I made vegetable soup in the slow cooker yesterday, and I intend to make a big pan of mashed potato, and then the same again of mashed carrots and turnip, freezing both batches after. Honestly, at 4p a bag in some shops, 15p in others, it would be silly not to buy.

It's actually been a nice thrifty shopping time lately, as at Company they tend to give things away free at the end of the month. So, when we went on Tuesday they were giving away cans of energy drinks, bread, baby food and cartons of chicken soup. We got a loaf and some soup, but got as many of the energy drinks as possible as James always has one going to work. Not good for him he knows, but it's a boost to the day he likes, so stocking up has saved us a lot of money.

We went to see The Magic Faraway Tree at the Odeon, and oh what a lovely film. I was surprised when we were coming out and James said he hadn't read the book, as I thought it was a book most people from the UK of a certain age had read, but it seems not.

Class on Wednesday, cut for details )

From class we headed off to the craft shop so James could swap out some of his stock. That didn't take long, but add on a gossip with the shop owner and a TikTok issue that led to chilling on a bench while James rerecorded stuff it was late afternoon before I got home.

Yesterday James taught his pyrography class again, and it seems it went well, while I caught up on some surveys.

Today we've been for a drive to Barnard Castle, bitter sweet in many ways as usually my MiL would have been with us as it was one of her favourite places to visit. We'd been looking forward to seeing the lambs on the moors, but there was none there. So, I suspect we were a bit early for that. Then we'd usually pick up a tray of eggs at the honesty farm stall. Got there, and their chickens have bird flu, so no eggs for sale. Got to Barney itself and despite being quite busy, found a parking spot and had a delicious dinner, before going to the bakery I like for some sour dough bread, only to find it was sold out. But, I bought a white loaf instead -- all they had left tbh- and will have some of that with vegetable soup later. Oh, and this rainbow followed us all across the moors. behind here )

A tale of two (attempted) sacrifices

Apr. 3rd, 2026 01:23 am
shadowhive: (5SOS Luke Restrained)
[personal profile] shadowhive
So I did go to the cinema today! Before I left I had a delivery though, of a Lego bunny set. Someone had put up instructions of Rocky from Project Hail Mary using the set and I totally caved to get it. (I built him tonight before this post, may post pics later)

In town I picked up some things mum wanted, feminine stuff she had vouchers for and the Lego Easter sets before going to the cinema.

I got the Mario Galaxy cup they had, which came with a keyring! I chose bowser which is pretty cool. (I got early because I knew how crazy the next days would likely be). Pics tomorrow in light. (They also had a popcorn tin but that seemed pricy and basic) After nomming some waffle fries I went up for the films.

But first, trailers! These were the same for both which makes sense given they were the same genre but it felt a shame there wasn’t even one different. They were:
Scary Movie: I’d seen this one before, it looks like it’ll be really funny and dumb, I’ve not seen the scary movie films for awhile so I’ll have to look them up
Passenger: Same trailer as before (well more a short scene) and I’m still super curious about it
Obsession: New trailer that I’d not seen. This one has made me jinda curious, especially how the woman’s face is always hidden which is kinda sus and intruiging
Hokum: new to me trailer, I’d seen another longer one which had made me curious, the vibes look really good
The Mummy: a different trailer than before, but I dunno I didn’t vibe with this one as much. I’ll still probably see it since I’ll be in town anyway
Undertone: I’m so sold on this one, cause I’m a sucker for haunted tech and thags the vibe I’m getting. Also the way it used the cinemas audio in the trailer alone makes me excite for it.

Before I get into them it is kinda funny that two films with similar themes came out so close to each other. They probably would have worked better not releasing as close but then maybe someone thought that’d capitalise on a double bill which… well it worked on me so I guess there’s a point there.

Thoughts under the cut for They Will Kill You then Ready Or Not Here I Come.

Read more... )

Now though I’m gonna bundle up and tomorrow is gonna be a rest day, I might go out on Saturday to get the Lego make and take from The Entertainer and see Mario Galaxy and Arco but we’ll see. Plus the newly found Doctor Who eps go live tomorrow too.

Monthly Round Up - February + March

Apr. 2nd, 2026 01:17 pm
shadowhive: (Teacake Cute)
[personal profile] shadowhive
So it’s another month already what?? Anyway monthly round up time, February’s one being hate cause of drilling screwing me over.

February

Fics wrote: An Offer
Books read: Halloween Party, Hawkins Horrors - 11:58, A Little Voice, Do or 20-sided Die
Games done: Pokémon Legends ZA
Podcast:[redacted] - postmortem home sweet home, hound, postmortem hound, aqueduct (part 1), postmortem aqueduct, aqueduct (part 2)
Who audios: Ancient History
Other Big Finish stuff:
Comics read: Fantastic Four 8
Graphic novels read: Stranger Things And Dungeons And Dragons

Things watched
Amazon Prime: Found Footage the series - Homesteaders
Blu Ray: The House With Laughing Windows (4K), Dungeons And Dragons Honour Among Thieves
DVD: -
Disney+: Phineas And Ferb - Attack Of The Candace Suit/ Book Flub, high Potential - NPC, Phineas And Ferb - The Bad Old Days/Mantis fact!, The Muppet Show, Phineas And Ferb - The Nightmare-inator, Doof In Retrograde, High Potential - TheFaust And The Furious, The Beauty - Beautiful Pilot, Phineas And Ferb - Bend It Like Doof/Dooficated, The Beauty - Beautiful Jordan, Muppet Treasure Island
Netflix: True Haunting - Eerie hall part 1, Pokémon Concierge - I’m Haruka The New Concierge
Now tv: Heated Rivalry- Olympians
Shudder: Horror’s greatest - film scores, space horror
YouTube: Mystery files - finally solved? Revisiting the dyatlov pass mystery, Nintendo uk partner direct, voyager across the unknown what if, Mandalorian and Grogu trailer, Ghost Files - Our Full Investigation Of The Sorrel-Weed House, reside - relationship blues (extended special edition) (directors cut), Palace, Nintendo treehouse - February 24th, Stardew Valley 10 year anniversary video, Pokémon presents
Cinema: Looney Tunes The Day The Earth Blew Up, Kangaroo, Cold Storage, Send Help

February was quite busy all things considered.

I did start The Beauty which I really liked and wanna continue, though it sucks I’ve not had the time or focus to get back to it in March. Same with Pokémon Conceige, I really liked the first ep but for some reason haven’t gone back to it. Note to self, watch more of both.

There was also finishing the current [redacted] episodes and I really love the series so far. I’ve said it before but if you like shows like The X-Files or Fringe, you're gonna like this.

Also yay for finishing things, both Pokémon ZA and Halloween Party. Plus starting and reading Hawkins Horrors. I had hoped to finish it last month but alas no.

Cinema wise it added two films that will be my favs of the year, Cold Storage and Kangaroo. Completely different vibes but I love them so many. I need to get Cold Storage when it’s out.

March

Fics wrote: A Matter Of Time
Books read: Hawkins Horrors - Lovers Lake, Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Games done: pokopia
Podcast: Welcome To Night Vale - The Story Of Hanukkah,
Who audios: Torchwood Soho Parasite - The man from room 13, Meet mr Lyme, the mould
Other Big Finish stuff:
Comics read: Fantastic Four 9
Graphic novels read:

Things watched
Amazon Prime: Found Footage The Series - Stop Copying Me
Blu Ray: Clown In A Cornfield, Warriors Of The Deep Special Edition, Ready Or Not, The Awakening, Super Mario Bros Movie
DVD: Murder She Said
Disney+: Phinea And Ferb - Space Adventure/Droogenfest, Doofercise/Croquet Y-8, Dinner Reservations/Bread Bowl Hot Tub, The Simpsons - Thanksgiving Of Horror, High Potential - In The Driver’s Seat, If You Come For The Queen, Pie In The Sky, Turn Up The Heat
Netflix: The Amazing Digital Circus - Pilot
Now tv:
Shudder: Bodycam
YouTube: tubbo - the drunkest I’ve ever been, Super Mario Galaxy Movie Direct, Mystery Files - The Disturbing Mystery Of The Pollock Twins, Did The Us military find a ufo crash site?, Revoid - Neon Denons
Cinema: Hoppers, How To Make A Killing, Project Hail Mary

Match had much less and I blame both the drilling and sickness meaning I didn’t have the focus for as much as I hoped. I had hoped to watch more Heated Rivalry, but every time I planned to something came up.p or my eyes got too achy to watch something. I’ll add it to The Beauty and Pokémon Concierge as something to watch more this month.

Watching things was mostly High Potential, which is always awesome and I did start The Amazing Digital Circus. Mostly that was cause Seapeekay shown an ep during the subathon he did and I was curious to see how it started. (I can definitely see the hype!) Plus I finally watched Clown In A Cornfield’s blu ray and a new who boxset came. Plus a rarity! The dvd section actually had something! It was planned to watch the Margaret Rutherford Marple boxset but we only watched one.

Another film added to my top ones of the year got added too, with Project Hail Mary. I’m still thinking about that last scene, it makes me so happy. I hope they put preorders up soon for the blu ray. I’m so tempted to see it again but it’s so long and I’ve got other things to see. (That makes it third film I’ve wanted to see twice since getting the pass but I didn’t see those either)

**

Tonight is very much a coin flip and depends how I’m feeling after lunch.

I’m either gonna do a cinema trip, which would be for They Will Kill You and Ready Or Not 2, or I’m gonna stay home and bundled and watch The Mortuary Assistant tonight (it got added to shudder last week). Either way I’ll do a post with thoughts.

The thing with the cinema trip is it’s the last time I can see both together, but it’s 6 and 8:15 respectively. They are showing next week some days, but both are at after 8 and one showing and I’m not too keen on doing two late night showings (especially since I wanna see Exit 8 which is a late night one, and cause of a theatre trip next week).

This month is gonna be a big cinema trip month from the look of it. Super Mario Galaxy (maybe with Arco), Exit 8, Undertone (hopefully together), The Mummy (on Record store day, possibly with something else), Hokum.

There were new trailers the other day too, for Masters Of The Universe and Backrooms and I’m hyped for both.

Book bingo updates.

Apr. 1st, 2026 10:54 pm
tellshannon815: (ruby)
[personal profile] tellshannon815


Graphic novel or comic: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232479447-fate
No sex/romance: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77661.The_Daughter_of_Time
Novella: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201750645-queen-b
First person POV: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60556912-the-housemaid
YA/Children's: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244215822-the-obsession
Figures without facial features on the cover: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58601515-lies-like-wildfire
Book made into a film or TV series: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49078674-playing-nice
Job/profession in the title: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/198218463-the-teacher
Main character over the age of 30: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/410445.T_is_for_Trespass
An author's debut/first book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205650368-the-ministry-of-time

Substitution list:
*Over 300 Pages
*Book in Series
*LGBTQ+
*Recommended - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27864449-his-dark-materials
*POC Author - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223955096-cursed-daughters
*Multiple POVs - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/81307313-the-birthday-reunion
*Classic/Retelling
*Sci-fi/Fantasy
*Free Space
*Anthology/Collection
*Biography/Memoir
*Friendship
*Name in the Title
*Movie/TV Tie-in
*With a Woman Protagonist
*From the Library
*Thriller/Suspense
*Set Somewhere You've Been
*Non-Human POV
*Fairy Tale or Fairy Tale Retelling
*Under 100 Pages - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230824619-death-row
*Romance Plot or Sub-plot - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83994697-the-seven-year-slip
*Translated
*With a Blue Cover - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213713209-the-wasp-trap
*Horror or Paranormal - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203578707-what-the-woods-took
*Colour in the Title
*Seasonal Read
*Number in title - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58385688-nine-lives
*Three word title - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40126622-the-great-believers
*Craft, Hobby or Cookbook
*Written by an author from your state or country
*Animal on the cover
*Disability or Mental health
*Read a book from the year you were born
*Mythology
*Title begins with first letter of your name - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217991744-hamnet
*Dystopian
*Book mentioned in another book
*Diverse reads
*One word title
*Award Winning/Bestseller
*Disabled Author
*Non-western Setting
*Set in your state/country
*Title is at Least Five Words Long
*Indigenous author
*Has illustrations (but not a comic or graphic novel)
*Re-read

It was their final performance

Apr. 1st, 2026 12:38 am
shadowhive: (5SOS Luke Star)
[personal profile] shadowhive
So tonight was the 5 Seconds Of Summer gig, yipee!

That meant going to Birmingham and I didn’t leave until just after 4. I didn’t really spend any time in Birmingham itself, just heading to the venue. And ugh there’s road works on the way there too! Has everyone decided to do it at once? I was hoping to pick up some food on the way but honestly the noise put me off even looking.

At the venue I joined the queue and didn’t have too long to wait to get inside. A merch stand was right in front of the doors but the queue stretched right round the venue, until a member of staff pointed out there was a second stand round the corner. I got a tee and a badge, but it’s annoying they also had paper bags for people but only if you met a certain limit… but didn’t say what it was. That was annoying cause it did look nice. If it had been £50 I’d have just got another pin but I suspect it was higher.

(I’m also annoyed the tour merch on the site lists a keyring and bracelet, neither of which actually seem to be at shows thus far)

Then I got to my ep seat and it was a pretty good view, on the opposite side of the stage to where I was last time and a little closer. It’s funny the last time I was there was for Sleep Token, which felt almost like a religious experience, 5 Seconds was a different experience altogether but I’ll get to that.

First a complaint. The venue had awful Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi at parx was fine the whole time I used it, for this show the wi-fi connected for 0.2 seconds (enough to get notifications) but then wouldn’t connect again. It feels absurd a venue that big doesn’t have working wi-fi. Ugh.

Anyway! There were two supports, the first was a band called Haiden Henderson, fronted by a blonde American twink in a leather jacket. They were pretty good, also did a cover of poker face. The second band were South Arcade and they were ok. I didn’t vibe with them really, but that’s ok, supports can be hit or miss.

Then I decided to use my kindle app on the phone, reading some of Strange Pictures chapter 1, which I finished on the train home. It’s such a clever concept using art like that as well as text and I’m curious what the rest will be like.

Before I go further, here is a picture of the stage (and a good idea of my view). As you can see the stage also has a ring with a small pit in the middle, at the back is Ashton’s drumkit, set atop the front of a limo (see ). Also here is the stage lit up. (There was also three large screens, one either side of the stage and third big curved one behind it)

When the show started text came up, about how 5 seconds of summer were a band doing a show in Birmingham, then ending that is was ‘their final performance’ it felt a tad like those found footage films that start with text saying similar things. The show was interspersed with videos of the band, documentary style but clearly not serious and they were pretty funny at times.

Like with the Waterparks show the gig was split into a total of seven ‘acts’: The Peak, The Fall, The Yearning, The Breakup, The Rise, The Beginning, The Return. The basic story, told via the videos, was them winning an award, going off the rails, breaking up, then coming back together as a band. (One scene also had them in bandages and Ashton with an eye patch which… eye patch hot)

The funniest part was probably a bit in the second act where they had a slideshow, where they all did some talking, some of it clearly improv,, especially the section on ‘know your local pop culture’. (Every place is different ours was this) And there was a comment from Luke that Calum’s legs were ‘too close together’ which is wild when he’s wearing a skirt/kilt.

One of my favourite parts was how, at the start of one act, Ashton’s drumkit rise up on a platform in the middle of the loop so he was playing to the crowd. It was nice cause everyone else could move around the length of it, but obviously he couldn’t cause drummer (he did go there with a guitar fir an acoustic song)

Speaking of Ashton another highlight was his drumkit having multiple cameras which meant he got to be on the big screens, showing off his big sweaty arms which was very… nghhh. Please bands do this more, we need to show drummers love.

Due to my positioning I missed some of the gay antics. I saw Luke preparing to get on his knees and got flashed by lights so missed it. Also there was a few times of Luke, Calum and Micheal close but they were also either hit by pits or the other side of the stage. I did appreciate Calum in his kilt this one in plaid (I still think the first black one was best). Speaking of outfits Ashton was still in his black one which I love, with stars on it (and wouldn’t look out of place in a fetish club).

Music wise they played. A lot of songs I love, No Shame, Teeth, Easier, Everyone’s A Star (saved till the encore oddly despite it being the tour name), Evolve, Boyband, Not Okay. Thankfully they didn’t play Ghost but they also didn’t play The Rocks or Red Desert either, or Valentine.

The breakup section had them all playing solo songs which was nice. Ashton is super talented to sing while drumming (though I wish it had been one from Blood On The Drummers) and Micheal’s was Enough which really got me. But it was nice to have them all playing one of their songs with the others.

I’m sure I’m missing one thing or another about the set, (partly cause not remembering, partly cause missing it) but it was a lot of fun. It was really awesome to finally see them and I just know I’ll see them again if they come back, cause they put on a great show, not just performance wise, but all the bits were so funny.

(There was also confetti and I got two pieces)

I just know the whole thing is gonna lead to 5sos fic and everything else put on hold until I at least do one. What? Who knows.

The way back was a pain cause the way I was familiar with was closed off, but I got to the station in amble time and got some cheap sushi to nom on, then finished Strange pictures on the way.

DNF?

Mar. 31st, 2026 11:25 pm
dhampyresa: (Reading kitten!)
[personal profile] dhampyresa
Poll #xxxx DNFs
Open to: all, results viewable to: all

What is the minimum amount of book you will make yourself read before dropping it (in most cases)?

The limit does not exist (0%)
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
The limit does not exist (100%)


Was recently attempting to reading a book and found myself dreading picking it up again (just... so slooooooow). DNF (Did Not Finish) it is! (I actually gave the book more of a chance than I usually would, on account of: (a) i got it at an event where I got it signed/met the author and (b) it is a beautiful physical object.) Now I'm curious what "rules", if any, people have with DNFs? Are there things that make you read more/less of a book before you decide to drop it?


A Matter Of Time

Mar. 31st, 2026 03:58 pm
shadowhive: (Geoff/Seapeekay Sequel)
[personal profile] shadowhive
A Matter Of Time
Pairing: Geoff Wigington/Seapeekay
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Just smut, some dirty talk, some feels
Notes: So seapeekay saw parx again, and had dinner with him, then was at the gig (though no pics together just yet). So naturally I decided to do a quick thing with them (taking over from my myriad of WIPs) which was intended to be just smut but ended up… this
(Not sold on the title really but it is what it is and I’ve gotta go soon to the gig) also damn another fic that’s not for the table😂
Read more... )

(no subject)

Mar. 30th, 2026 08:05 am
turps: (cats and coffee)
[personal profile] turps
I got excellent mail from [personal profile] dine, thank you!

They cancelled Starfleet Academy, which is typical considering how much I enjoyed the show. I know we still have the second season to watch, but I wanted more.

The Pitt is finally being shown here, and one morning James saw his first episode, and said he wanted to see episode two as soon as one was finished. And I was like, I know that feeling! It was strange seeing these early episodes again, knowing what was going to come for each character. Strange but good, I mean, it's not like a rewatch is a bad thing.

Let's see, since I last posted one day I Bodhisat from after school to about eight so the mams could go on a date. Bodhi is really into KPop Demon Hunters right now, and I lost aunty points for being unable to belt out the songs while she pretended to take out some demons. I was also told I was terrible at concentrating and asked why I walked strangely. Then, when I told her it was because I have a poorly knee, she wanted to know every detail of how that happened, and you and me both, Bodes.

Wednesday it was class, there was only me and three older guys who turned up, so it was a focussed class. cut for exercise stuff )

We went to see Project Hail Mary at the cinema. I thought it was great, but for those who like to play along with the game, James fell asleep watching it.

Though he gets a pass as he had a busy end of the week, volunteering to go teach pyrography to a group one afternoon, which he was nervous about as it's not something he'd done before. Then the next day, had to go for a health screening that included the longest attempt to take blood yet. Seriously, nearly an hour, and two doctors later I was ready to call it on his behalf when finally, the younger doctor finally managed to find a vein.

He's at work today, then off from tomorrow starting the last week of his use it or lose it annual leave. As of now our only concrete plans are going to the Odeon to the The Magic Faraway Tree, which I'm looking forward to so much, and James to do his second pyrography class. But, I'm sure the remaining days will soon be filled.

Oh, and Murphy caught a mouse yesterday. I was having a sleep-in and woke up to James at the bottom of the bed holding a mouse. Turned out Murphy had caught it downstairs, then when James went to see what all the commotion was, ran upstairs. I'm just glad James did follow and get the mouse from him, as I would have hated to wake to it actually on the bed with me.

Today is exercise only class again, but until then, this house isn't going to tidy itself. I may even put the first wash of the year on the line as it looks sunny and breezy out there.

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