Fandom 50 S4 Post 6: Arrang and BTS
Mar. 19th, 2026 02:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
glitteryvThis is a v. OJO animated trailer for "Arirang" (the traditional Korean song AND BTS' album) that shows a version of the canonical story dating back to May 1896. Seven Korean men traveled to the US and performed for the crowds. Among the songs they sang was "Arirang"--and this lead to the first official recording of the song ever.
It's a video that honors the past AND connects it to BTS, a 7-member group of Korean men (IT'S ALWAYS THE 7 WITH BTS. FREAKING ALWAYS, LOL!) who debuted in 2013 and continue sharing Korean culture and folklore with the rest of the world.
One of the BEST things abt this trailer is that it includes a snippet of "Body to Body", the first song of the album.
The second best thing is that there's ZERO AI in the trailer. *points at the long list of credited artists* \o/!
Since I'm NOT Korean, I figured this other video from TTMIK is an A+ explainer of "Arirang"'s meaning AND significance. As well as how the ideas and values abt it are reflected in BTS' work.
It's a video that honors the past AND connects it to BTS, a 7-member group of Korean men (IT'S ALWAYS THE 7 WITH BTS. FREAKING ALWAYS, LOL!) who debuted in 2013 and continue sharing Korean culture and folklore with the rest of the world.
One of the BEST things abt this trailer is that it includes a snippet of "Body to Body", the first song of the album.
The second best thing is that there's ZERO AI in the trailer. *points at the long list of credited artists* \o/!
Since I'm NOT Korean, I figured this other video from TTMIK is an A+ explainer of "Arirang"'s meaning AND significance. As well as how the ideas and values abt it are reflected in BTS' work.
Fandom 50 S4 Post 5: BTS set loose on the Internet.
Mar. 18th, 2026 01:14 pmglitteryvAs part of their GQ promo, the guys sat down to do this video where they went to Twitter, Reddit, Quora, YouTube, and Wikipedia answering fans' questions.
It's a delightful, 14-min video filled with Vmin VMINNING, Yoongi pouting (that he didn't get an invite to the bathhouse from Minimoni), Jin and RM complimenting each other down, Jungkook being THE GenZ-er in the group, and Hobi being his sunshine-y self.
One of the funny things was me realizing that I knew or followed some of the ppl on Twitter whose questions were answered by the Tannies.
Another thing was finding out that the mods of the reddit BTS went to kicked that account out of that specific reddit because they thought it was someone impersonating as the Tannies.
What I liked the most was seeing the bond and simpatico between all 7. It's v., v. clear they missed the hell out of each other while in the military and Chapter 2.
*I'm v. ??? that Jimin is calling Arirang Era Chapter 2 since V mentioned the enlistment era (in his ep of Suchwita) and RM has done so too (several times). It's confusing since, the general understanding is that enlistment era = Chapter 2, but what do we know? 😜
It's a delightful, 14-min video filled with Vmin VMINNING, Yoongi pouting (that he didn't get an invite to the bathhouse from Minimoni), Jin and RM complimenting each other down, Jungkook being THE GenZ-er in the group, and Hobi being his sunshine-y self.
One of the funny things was me realizing that I knew or followed some of the ppl on Twitter whose questions were answered by the Tannies.
Another thing was finding out that the mods of the reddit BTS went to kicked that account out of that specific reddit because they thought it was someone impersonating as the Tannies.
What I liked the most was seeing the bond and simpatico between all 7. It's v., v. clear they missed the hell out of each other while in the military and Chapter 2.
*I'm v. ??? that Jimin is calling Arirang Era Chapter 2 since V mentioned the enlistment era (in his ep of Suchwita) and RM has done so too (several times). It's confusing since, the general understanding is that enlistment era = Chapter 2, but what do we know? 😜
Spin Control, by Chris Moriarty
Mar. 17th, 2026 11:44 amrunpunkrunSequel to Spin State, and, yes, you have to read that one first. Really solid hard science-fiction where the science is artificial intelligence (real AI, not fucking Claude), cloning, ecological collapse, complex adaptive systems and complexity theory, and I took the last two straight out of the "Further Reading" section at the end (yes there's homework) because hell if I know, even though Moriarty definitely expected me to know and says as much. The closest I can get to guessing what that field is about (without Further Reading) is E.O. Wilson and his ants, which are also here.
The fiction is set far in the future in a universe where the Earth is suffering from global climate catastrophe and the vast majority of people live in orbital stations or on terraformed planets. This includes huge hives of genetically engineered corporate clones, who are no longer considered human, and transhumans who have been technologically advanced to the point where they're not considered entirely human either. The only humans allowed to live on Earth are natural ones with hereditary exceptions, which, practically, seems to mainly mean indigenous groups, whatever's left of the United States after it broke with the U.N., and people with religious wars to fight. Half of the action is set in the middle of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
So you can see how this book might be a bit too real at this stage of the horrors.
Unfortunately for both of us, due to my state of mind—and the state of the world—I couldn't concentrate on any of it. I could only read it sporadically and had trouble remembering all the spy intrigue (of which there's a lot) and who was on what side, but I'm sure it was great and tense and full of unexpected betrayals (iguess.jpg). However, I can say that even after days away from it, I could pick it up and just start reading because it's very well written and the (main) characters are all memorable and interesting.
If any of this sounds like your jam, read the first book (that one is about mining, Bose–Einstein condensates, corporate espionage, and AI), pick up this one, and then probably read the third in the trilogy, Ghost Spin. I'll pick it up one day, but probably not today, and probably not tomorrow, on account of my poor brains.
Contains: global climate disaster; Israel/Palestine; torture and interrogation; widespread infertility; unplanned pregnancy; amputation; slaughter of chickens for food; and an extended shoutout to Ender's Game.
The fiction is set far in the future in a universe where the Earth is suffering from global climate catastrophe and the vast majority of people live in orbital stations or on terraformed planets. This includes huge hives of genetically engineered corporate clones, who are no longer considered human, and transhumans who have been technologically advanced to the point where they're not considered entirely human either. The only humans allowed to live on Earth are natural ones with hereditary exceptions, which, practically, seems to mainly mean indigenous groups, whatever's left of the United States after it broke with the U.N., and people with religious wars to fight. Half of the action is set in the middle of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
So you can see how this book might be a bit too real at this stage of the horrors.
Unfortunately for both of us, due to my state of mind—and the state of the world—I couldn't concentrate on any of it. I could only read it sporadically and had trouble remembering all the spy intrigue (of which there's a lot) and who was on what side, but I'm sure it was great and tense and full of unexpected betrayals (iguess.jpg). However, I can say that even after days away from it, I could pick it up and just start reading because it's very well written and the (main) characters are all memorable and interesting.
If any of this sounds like your jam, read the first book (that one is about mining, Bose–Einstein condensates, corporate espionage, and AI), pick up this one, and then probably read the third in the trilogy, Ghost Spin. I'll pick it up one day, but probably not today, and probably not tomorrow, on account of my poor brains.
Contains: global climate disaster; Israel/Palestine; torture and interrogation; widespread infertility; unplanned pregnancy; amputation; slaughter of chickens for food; and an extended shoutout to Ender's Game.
Fandom 50 S4 Post 4: BTS as a brand.
Mar. 17th, 2026 12:27 pmglitteryvLet me start with the obvious: the title IS hella clickbait-y (which I sort of get cuz it works in making ARMYs, casuals, locals, AND antis check the video out). However, let me "spoil" that the YouTuber answers the question almost as soon as the video begins with a resounding "yes, they are!"
ANYHOO, this is a 12-min video in which the YTuber breaks down what makes BTS so popular from a branding perspective. I appreciated the even tone (IHNI if they're an ARMY or casual, but it's pretty easy to tell that they're not an anti either) from beginning to end. There was what, to some, might feel like an interesting comparison: at some points, the video compares BTS' fame and fandom with Taylor Swift's. The truth of the matter is that they're peers, but I digress.
Another thing I liked was the observation abt how BTS' upcoming comeback is shifting things. It's gonna be v. interesting to see if the rest of the Kpop agencies and artists will follow OR if they'll stick with the usual patters. FTR, neither approach is better than the other (and, ofc, finances play a huge factor too.) But there we are.
ONE slight correction: toward the end, the YouTuber mentions that BTS has "changed their logo" as part of their comeback. This is 100% incorrect. What they're talking abt is the three red circles that turned out to be part of the album's cover + the marketing logo. It was designed by Jungkook.
ANYHOO, this is a 12-min video in which the YTuber breaks down what makes BTS so popular from a branding perspective. I appreciated the even tone (IHNI if they're an ARMY or casual, but it's pretty easy to tell that they're not an anti either) from beginning to end. There was what, to some, might feel like an interesting comparison: at some points, the video compares BTS' fame and fandom with Taylor Swift's. The truth of the matter is that they're peers, but I digress.
Another thing I liked was the observation abt how BTS' upcoming comeback is shifting things. It's gonna be v. interesting to see if the rest of the Kpop agencies and artists will follow OR if they'll stick with the usual patters. FTR, neither approach is better than the other (and, ofc, finances play a huge factor too.) But there we are.
ONE slight correction: toward the end, the YouTuber mentions that BTS has "changed their logo" as part of their comeback. This is 100% incorrect. What they're talking abt is the three red circles that turned out to be part of the album's cover + the marketing logo. It was designed by Jungkook.
Fandom 50 S4 Post 3: An interesting crossover . . .
Mar. 16th, 2026 12:24 pmglitteryvEvery so often, Lindsey Buckingham (of Fleetwood Mac's fame) Leelee (his daughter) post reactions to different artists. Last November, they reacted to BTS' "Boy With Luv (featuring Halsey)" because of a small-yet-significant connection between Lindsey and BTS.
Although this is a v. mellow reaction, it's a positive one. I got a kick out of watching it, so here I am sharing it with y'all!
Although this is a v. mellow reaction, it's a positive one. I got a kick out of watching it, so here I am sharing it with y'all!
Fandom 50 S4 Post 2: who is BTS?
Mar. 15th, 2026 12:46 pmglitteryvAlthough they literally are THE world's biggest band right now, there might be some who have 0 idea as to who BTS actually are. Given that this Friday's comeback (OMG, IT'S SOOOOOOOOO SOON!!!ASLDKFJL;ASKDFJLASK;DFJLASD;K) kicks off what I can imagine will be a yearlong rollout on every type of media ACROSS THE ENTIRE PLANET, some folks might be curious abt the group and their music. However, with a 13-year discography + content AND given ARMY's . . . erm . . . intense enthusiasm, it's normal that there will be wariness from some ppl.
This 18-min video from Boracity Magazine manages to present a lot of info of the group AND the individual members PLUS also offer samples of their group and solo music. The content is slightly outdated since the video is from Dec. 2024. HOWEVER, it's comprehensive AND accessible enough to give folks a place to start their Borahae journey from.
ENJOY!
This 18-min video from Boracity Magazine manages to present a lot of info of the group AND the individual members PLUS also offer samples of their group and solo music. The content is slightly outdated since the video is from Dec. 2024. HOWEVER, it's comprehensive AND accessible enough to give folks a place to start their Borahae journey from.
ENJOY!
some Oscar thoughts
Mar. 14th, 2026 09:37 pmsnickficOscar-nominated movies I've watched: Frankenstein, Sinners, Weapons, The Ugly Stepsister(!!!!), The Secret Agent, Marty Supreme.
After the nominations came out, I was like "Wow, I've seen so many of these!" Friends, I literally had only seen the four(!!) horror movies, but between Frankenstein and Sinners they were nominated for so many things that it felt like I knew more movies than I really did.
Snubs: I didn't see it until after the nominees were announced (and neither did anyone else, apparently), but man, Testament of Ann Lee should have been up for Best Score and Best Actress at the very least. Best Picture too tbh.
Who I'm rooting for: I want Sinners to pick up a bunch of hardware, most of all Best Picture, but also Delroy Lindo for Best Supporting Actor, Wunmi Mosaku for Best Supporting Actress, Best Score, and Best Original Screenplay. My second choice in any category where they're going head to head would be Marty Supreme, and Chalamet is probably my pick for Best Actor.
My favorite story of these awards: The Ugly Stepsister, a Norwegian-language horror film, getting nominated for Best Hair and Makeup. There's no way it's going to win, but how did it even get nominated?! I hope the nomination got some more eyes on it, especially since it pairs so well with The Substance, which was nominated last year.
Rotten tomatoes: Frankenstein just wasn't all that. It was long, obvious, and self-important, and I hated the design of the Creature, which was basically just body paint and bad hair. I wouldn't mind it winning for something like Production Design or Costuming, and but that's about it. Props to Elordi for snagging an acting nom, though.
And take this one with a grain of salt, because I haven't watched it, but every Black person whose review I've come across haaaaaaated One Battle After Another. I think FD Signifier has put out three different videos or streams at this point about how much he hated the treatment of Black women in it. I was already primed to skip it because I disliked the trailer; in particular, the father/daughter bickering about pronouns for her nonbinary friend really hit me the wrong way. So I personally am rooting for any movie but that one in every category (esp against Sean Penn for Best Supporting Actor, because fuck that dude).
After the nominations came out, I was like "Wow, I've seen so many of these!" Friends, I literally had only seen the four(!!) horror movies, but between Frankenstein and Sinners they were nominated for so many things that it felt like I knew more movies than I really did.
Snubs: I didn't see it until after the nominees were announced (and neither did anyone else, apparently), but man, Testament of Ann Lee should have been up for Best Score and Best Actress at the very least. Best Picture too tbh.
Who I'm rooting for: I want Sinners to pick up a bunch of hardware, most of all Best Picture, but also Delroy Lindo for Best Supporting Actor, Wunmi Mosaku for Best Supporting Actress, Best Score, and Best Original Screenplay. My second choice in any category where they're going head to head would be Marty Supreme, and Chalamet is probably my pick for Best Actor.
My favorite story of these awards: The Ugly Stepsister, a Norwegian-language horror film, getting nominated for Best Hair and Makeup. There's no way it's going to win, but how did it even get nominated?! I hope the nomination got some more eyes on it, especially since it pairs so well with The Substance, which was nominated last year.
Rotten tomatoes: Frankenstein just wasn't all that. It was long, obvious, and self-important, and I hated the design of the Creature, which was basically just body paint and bad hair. I wouldn't mind it winning for something like Production Design or Costuming, and but that's about it. Props to Elordi for snagging an acting nom, though.
And take this one with a grain of salt, because I haven't watched it, but every Black person whose review I've come across haaaaaaated One Battle After Another. I think FD Signifier has put out three different videos or streams at this point about how much he hated the treatment of Black women in it. I was already primed to skip it because I disliked the trailer; in particular, the father/daughter bickering about pronouns for her nonbinary friend really hit me the wrong way. So I personally am rooting for any movie but that one in every category (esp against Sean Penn for Best Supporting Actor, because fuck that dude).
Performing some traffic maintenance today
Mar. 14th, 2026 01:04 pm![[staff profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user_staff.png){kind=small}
mark posting in ![[site community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/comm_staff.png){kind=small}
dw_maintenanceHappy Saturday!
I'm going to be doing a little maintenance today. It will likely cause a tiny interruption of service (specifically for www.dreamwidth.org) on the order of 2-3 minutes while some settings propagate. If you're on a journal page, that should still work throughout!
If it doesn't work, the rollback plan is pretty quick, I'm just toggling a setting on how traffic gets to the site. I'll update this post if something goes wrong, but don't anticipate any interruption to be longer than 10 minutes even in a rollback situation.
Fandom 50 S4 Post 1: BTS IS BACK!
Mar. 14th, 2026 12:39 pmglitteryvYes, I'm (finally) back to do the Fandom 50 challenge for 2026!!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
Starting off with the BIGGEST THING OF THIS YEAR: after years away as a group (due to military enlistment), BTS is SIX MOTHERFUCKING DAYS AWAY from releasing the ALBUM OF THE MOTHERFUCKING DECADE: ARIRANG on March 20th.
It's 14 tracks with members having written and/or composed for 13 out of the 14 (that we know of, so far. There's a 15th secret track that won't drop til early April). As of today, there's only been 10 seconds of a snippet of a song ("Body to Body") and everyone's spiraling (in a good way.) Additionally, there's a STADIUM WORLD TOUR that kicks off in Seoul on April 9th and will take the Tannies to the US, Canada, Mexico & other LatAm countries, Australia, and some parts of Europe. LEG 1 OF THE TOUR ends March 2027. There's gonna be a 2nd leg + encore concerts in Seoul, but no info is available abt all of that yet.
Because this is BTS' return, they are doing their first performance in 4 yrs at Gwanghwamun Square. The location is symbolic AF since it was, at one time, the heart of Korea back in Joseon era (per what I know.) The concert will last 1 hr and will be livestreamed by none other than Netflix.
This is, as anyone can imagine, a big fucking deal.
Behold the trailer:
NGL, I've got NO idea how many times I've watched this cuz I still * ______ * AND 😭 whenever this trailer plays onscreen.
To start with, the cinematography is truly *chef's kiss*. Then there's the remix of "Mikrokosmos" (from their 2019 album Map of the Soul: Persona)--a song that's v. special to ARMYs since one of its meanings is BTS looking at ARMYs with love and comparing them to little stars that surround them. The song lyrics also carry a message of support and comfort) in the background. I"m hoping this version gets released some day!
Having RM saying "We promised our fans that we'd be back"... let me tell y'all the (HAPPY) TEARS I'VE CRIED! Not only because it was Joonie saying that, but also in how it was a reminder that BTS will always keep their word. And, silly as that might seem to some, actively showing that their fans can TRUST them to enlist AND return, that surety and respect, are precious things nowadays.
On a shallow note, everyone looks fantastic, heheh.
P.S.: IDK how long Netflix will have it available for streaming after the 21st (per what I've heard, they shelve live events after a month? I really don't know!). AAAAAND, on the 27th, there will be a brand-new BTS documentary also streaming on Netflix. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!
Starting off with the BIGGEST THING OF THIS YEAR: after years away as a group (due to military enlistment), BTS is SIX MOTHERFUCKING DAYS AWAY from releasing the ALBUM OF THE MOTHERFUCKING DECADE: ARIRANG on March 20th.
It's 14 tracks with members having written and/or composed for 13 out of the 14 (that we know of, so far. There's a 15th secret track that won't drop til early April). As of today, there's only been 10 seconds of a snippet of a song ("Body to Body") and everyone's spiraling (in a good way.) Additionally, there's a STADIUM WORLD TOUR that kicks off in Seoul on April 9th and will take the Tannies to the US, Canada, Mexico & other LatAm countries, Australia, and some parts of Europe. LEG 1 OF THE TOUR ends March 2027. There's gonna be a 2nd leg + encore concerts in Seoul, but no info is available abt all of that yet.
Because this is BTS' return, they are doing their first performance in 4 yrs at Gwanghwamun Square. The location is symbolic AF since it was, at one time, the heart of Korea back in Joseon era (per what I know.) The concert will last 1 hr and will be livestreamed by none other than Netflix.
This is, as anyone can imagine, a big fucking deal.
Behold the trailer:
NGL, I've got NO idea how many times I've watched this cuz I still * ______ * AND 😭 whenever this trailer plays onscreen.
To start with, the cinematography is truly *chef's kiss*. Then there's the remix of "Mikrokosmos" (from their 2019 album Map of the Soul: Persona)--a song that's v. special to ARMYs since one of its meanings is BTS looking at ARMYs with love and comparing them to little stars that surround them. The song lyrics also carry a message of support and comfort) in the background. I"m hoping this version gets released some day!
Having RM saying "We promised our fans that we'd be back"... let me tell y'all the (HAPPY) TEARS I'VE CRIED! Not only because it was Joonie saying that, but also in how it was a reminder that BTS will always keep their word. And, silly as that might seem to some, actively showing that their fans can TRUST them to enlist AND return, that surety and respect, are precious things nowadays.
On a shallow note, everyone looks fantastic, heheh.
P.S.: IDK how long Netflix will have it available for streaming after the 21st (per what I've heard, they shelve live events after a month? I really don't know!). AAAAAND, on the 27th, there will be a brand-new BTS documentary also streaming on Netflix. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!
Marty Supreme
Mar. 14th, 2026 09:53 amsnickficMarty Supreme (2025). A sleezy little punk in the 50s exploits everyone he knows or can finagle a meeting with in order to pursue his dream of becoming the world's best ping pong player.
I reeeeeally went back and forth on whether I wanted to see this, because everyone was like "Did you like Uncut Gems, the two-hour anxiety attack? It's like Uncut Gems." In general, I would not describe entertainment that makes me anxious to be a big draw! (I'm not talking about horror, that's TOTALLY DIFFERENT lol.) This is why I will never watch The Bear or The Pitt! But I finally got myself to go to a pre-Oscar showing of this because I enjoy Timothee Chalamet a lot, and I had a good time.
This movie is a RIDE. I have a pretty severe embarassment squick, but weirdly this rarely hit it. I only had to hide under my blanket in the theater maybe twice. Marty is just the worst but in a trainwreck way, so there's this sense that it doesn't really matter what he does or what happens to him, because it'll be engaging, not least because Chalamet is phenomenal. One of the low-key funniest lines is mid-movie when his uncle who owns a shoe story tells him that he's a fantastic shoe salesman. No shit, of course he is! It also helps that this is more of a black comedy than a ~drama, and while sometimes plot developments are the natural consequences of Marty's actions, other times they're utterly batshit that no reasonable person could have predicted.
CW for an ongoing stressful situation with a dog, but as far as I understand its last appearance, the dog is fine, unlike pretty much everyone else Marty so much as speaks to in this entire movie.
In conclusion, this is very much not a movie for everyone, but I had fun.
I reeeeeally went back and forth on whether I wanted to see this, because everyone was like "Did you like Uncut Gems, the two-hour anxiety attack? It's like Uncut Gems." In general, I would not describe entertainment that makes me anxious to be a big draw! (I'm not talking about horror, that's TOTALLY DIFFERENT lol.) This is why I will never watch The Bear or The Pitt! But I finally got myself to go to a pre-Oscar showing of this because I enjoy Timothee Chalamet a lot, and I had a good time.
This movie is a RIDE. I have a pretty severe embarassment squick, but weirdly this rarely hit it. I only had to hide under my blanket in the theater maybe twice. Marty is just the worst but in a trainwreck way, so there's this sense that it doesn't really matter what he does or what happens to him, because it'll be engaging, not least because Chalamet is phenomenal. One of the low-key funniest lines is mid-movie when his uncle who owns a shoe story tells him that he's a fantastic shoe salesman. No shit, of course he is! It also helps that this is more of a black comedy than a ~drama, and while sometimes plot developments are the natural consequences of Marty's actions, other times they're utterly batshit that no reasonable person could have predicted.
CW for an ongoing stressful situation with a dog, but as far as I understand its last appearance, the dog is fine, unlike pretty much everyone else Marty so much as speaks to in this entire movie.
In conclusion, this is very much not a movie for everyone, but I had fun.
First Book Post of 2026!
Mar. 13th, 2026 01:38 pmglitteryvRe-reads. HUH
* Naked in Death and Glory in Death (Books 1 and 2 of the In Death series, mystery/thriller romance) by J.D. Robb - Eve Dallas is a homicide detective in 2058. She tends to get assigned to v. complicated and often violent cases. Her life turns upside down when she crosses path with Roarke, a billionaire with a dark past . . .
I'd read these first two books in an ongoing series (there are 60-odd books so far) 7 or 8 yrs ago based on a YouTuber's rec. OTOH, I legit DON'T vibe with Nora Roberts' other books. OTOH, these books are well-written and structured in a way that make them engaging reads. Yes, these novels (hell, the entire series even!) are 100% copaganda in the sense that Eve is one of the main POVs AND she's v. "cops know what to do cuz they're there to protect ppl, etc". I had to actively choose to ignore those "rah-rah to cops" bits when I first picked up these novels years ago and I had to do that all over again this time around.
Part of what I liked was the idea of a future (that's way closer now vs. when the books were first published in the mid-1990s!) and seeing how much it resembles our world when compared to the books' 'verse. I do like Eve as a character as well as Roarke. And the two of them together have fantastic banter & snark with an underlying sense of romantic feelings from both. And so, a hook (for me, at least) is seeing how their relationship will develop throughout the series.
THAT SAID, these novels have v. violent scenes. Especially when it comes to the villains' ultra-misogynistic opinions on women (oof!). The sex scenes between Eve and Roarke are V. CHEESY in a way that made me giggle?
Additionally, there's an ongoing part that made me 😳 and 😬 the first time I read these books. I didn't see ANYONE warn for this specific thing:: Eve is a CSA incest survivor. Each book (so far, I've only read 2) have scenes where she'll have flashbacks to her abuse. The scenes are presented in a way that readers can see them approaching and can skip them. FWIW, the focus of the scenes have to do with Eve's hurt abt being abused. She has moments of PTSD abt it and (to date) has avoided getting any kind of therapy to help her further.
My main complaint abt both books is that the villains are v. easy to suss out. I'd forgotten a lot of the actual plot, but as soon as certain characters popped up, I remembered they were the murderers, IJS. I'm in no particular hurry to catch up with the series, so I'm guesstimating I'll read a new book every few months. We'll see. I gave both books a 3 out of 5.
I DNF'd
* Double the D (Capricorn Cove #2, M/M/F contemporary romance) by Evie Mitchell - Blue is a nurse who lives in a small town. She's had feelings for Drake and Dane, two best friends who left the town when they enlisted in the marines at 18 y.o. A decade later, they've returned with the intention of getting in a relationship with Blue.
This is an 86-page novella by an author whose books I've liked before. It's part of a series where the women are unapologetically fat and desirable. I was game for an M/M/F. Good times, right?
WRONG!
The writing was poor. Also, the two guys were v. interchangeable--something that wasn't helped by their names both starting with D.
ANYHOO, I started to give this novella the evil eye from thhe v. first paragraph:
Additional context: the group home was run by Blue's own parents. So all three met when they were all teenagers. One night, Blue sees Dane and Drake getting it on. Shortly after, they turn 18 and leave for the marines.
Later, in Chapter 3 (which is from Blue's POV), she's freaking out cuz she's staying over at Dane and Drake's house due to "plot" reasons (don't ask me abt the plot. There's none.) She's unable to fall asleep cuz her mind wanders to the past:
Me at all of this 🙄🙄🙄. Listen, I get it's not a big deal to some, but I don't like ANY kind of incest (including the pseudo kind such as between foster siblings, former or not.) I got squicked super fast and had to return this novella to the library. I'm V. AWARE that other ppl mighteven like that additional layer of ~taboo. More power to y'all.
I gave this novella 1 star out of 5.
* The Wolf and the Crown of Blood (The Broken Accords #1, M/F dark romantasy) by Elizabeth May - Bryony is a princess whose mission in life is to get sacrificed every month as part of a ritual that will keep a promise between humans and gods. One day, the god-king decides to undo her "curse" and send his top assassin, a.k.a Evander, a.k.a. the Wolf, to kill Bryony for defying the god-king or whatever.
Evander and Bryony are V. HOT FOR EACH OTHER, THO. WHATEVER WILL THEY DO????
OK, so let me not be super bitchy and give this novel the kudos it deserves. The worldbuilding is robust. I also noticed how the author was weaving the idea of religion (and its extremes) + society + whatever hot times were gonna happen between Bryony and Evander (there are Trigger/Content warnings at the beginning of the book.) Also, dunno if she got a better editor or what, but the writing had improved from the last two books of hers I'd attempted to read.
THAT SAID, for all of the DRAMARAMA and (promised) sexy times, I legit didn't care abt anything going on. I didn't dislike either MC, but I wasn't feeling drawn to the story. When I saw I had some 480-odd pages to go, I chose to return this book to the library after having read only the first 10% or so. Clearly this author is simply NOT for me. And that's fine! I gave this book a 2 out of 5.
Had an awesome time at first (but it all went downhill from there).
* Every Body Yoga. Let Go of Fear. Get On the Mat. Love Your Body (Nonfiction) by Jessamyn Stanley - A how-to and general book on yoga by a person who has been v. vocal abt the need for inclusivity (in terms of race and body sizes) in yoga spaces.
I bought this book around 8 yrs ago, but didn't get around to reading it until this year. It's split into three sections: the first one covers the general history of yoga + different types of yoga + how in-person classes go + Jessamyn's own history with yoga. The second section is abt the most common positions most practitioners will do at some point or another (these feature detailed instructions and have photos.) The last part has a few sequences with different goals.
NGL, I did liked reading abt Jessamyn and how they have had to deal with being fat and Black in a space that, at least in the West, tends to glorify thin and white bodies. Their candor abt having to push past their own shyness/awkwardness/discomfort will feel v. familiar to many ppl who, again, might not fit the thin and/or white descriptions.
OTOH, I was v. disappointed that there weren't any tips or modifications for any of the poses. Especially cuz I'd taken many of Jessamyn's online classes and was v. familiar with how many suggestions they give while teaching. Instead, all of the instructions were painfully standard.
In the end, I didn't feel like I learned anything new (FTR, I've been practicing yoga for 20-odd years), but I can see how this would be a good book for newbies to check out. I gave this book a 2.3 out of 5.
* Fat Off, Fat On (Memoir) by Clarkisha Kent -
A v. intense book (in terms of the themes the author writes abt) that, unfortch, didn't work for me.
FTR, I have followed the author since she was on Twitter many years ago. I've learned a lot through her posts on a myriad of issues. So, I have to admit that my expectations for her memoir were higher-than-normal.
I finished it cuz I'd waited to read it for so long, IDK. As memoirs go, this was a disappointment. Though that was the result of what I thought the book was gonna be like vs. what the author decided to write about. Mood wise, this book was mostly a downer, IDK. Personally, the humor was a BIG MISS for *me*. I gave this book a 2.1 out of 5
It was . . . fine?
The Governess Affair (Book 0.5 of The Brothers Sinister series, Historical romance) by Courtney Milan - Serena was let go of her position. She's decided she'll get compensation from a duke (her now-former employer) one way or another. Hugo, mostly known as the Wolf of Cleremont, is sent by his employer (the duke) to deal with Serena...
I picked this book from my TBR (where it'd been for a decade or so?) cuz I wanted something good to read. Really liked the MCs together and separately. I also appreciated that the obstacles felt real (tho some aspects of how the MCs overcame them were a bit handwave-y.) The writing was excellent as expected from any Courtney Milan book.
HOWEVAH, there was a LOT of plot AND themes packed into something that was barely over 100 pages long! The romance went into "I Love Youuuu!" territory too fast,but whatevs.
Please be warned that Serena is an SA survivor and that there are a couple of scenes in which she has non-graphic flashbacks to the assault. It didn't make me feel skittish, but I figured a heads up is welcomed. I gave this novella a 3 out of 5 and do plan to continue the series.
Good vibes all around
* Beast Business (Book 6.5 of Hidden Legacy series, Urban fantasy romance) by Ilona Andrews - Augustine is one of most powerful illusion Primes around. He's known for being aloof and practical. One day, he gets hired by Diana, an animal mage Prime, who needs his help in rescuing something that was taken from her home. Unlike Augustine, Diana is all instinct and heightened emotions. The two team up on a mission against one of the most dangerous ppl in the world . . .
Augustine has been one of those Hidden Legacy characters I've kept an eye on even if I haven't found him AS fascinating as other characters in the books. Leave it to IA to make me question my earlier aloofness, LOL. I thoroughly enjoyed this deep dive into who Augustine is, his backstory, and the true extent of his power. Out of the two POVs, I enjoyed his the most. If only cuz he sounded so flustered despite keeping a cool facade.
That's not to say that I disliked Diana or her POV. It was more of thinking she was a neat foil. She was chaotic and (pun intended) wild to Augustine's calculating and manipulative persona. Oh, and the plot was solid too!
What actually got me to give this novella a 👍🏾, tho, were the short stories at the end of the book. Some of them filled in the gaps regarding certain events in the main story (I've got the feeling this might not make much sense unless you've read this book, but there we are. 😜).
Seeing things from Arabella's POV was v, v. cool. The Matilda story was a good way to wrap the main story up--with just a smidgen of bittersweetness to balance everything out.
Heck, I even liked the two interviews at the v. end. Neat xover with Innkeeper Chronicles too!
One of the things that DIDN'T work for me was the "romance". This is the one (1) area where the format's limitations worked against the story.
It's not that I questioned Augustine/Diana (eventually) becoming a couple. My problem was that it turned to be insta-love for two characters who are extremely cautious/wary by nature. Whenever the story veered into the "OMG, I'm so attracted to her/him" and musing abt their romance/wanting to keep touching each other/getting turned on by something the other character had done (usually something violent cuz why not?), I sighed cuz rushing a romance is a pet peeve of mine.
The INTENSITY of Augustine and Diana's feelings was borderline ridiculous! Their one saving grace was they'd known each other for a number of years. I'm not outright discarding them as a couple, but I wish there had been a bit more subtlety in terms of their attraction to each other. At times, Augustine would sound kinda OOC whenever he waxed poetic abt Diana.
ANOTHER thing I'm ambivalent abt was the story of the birth of Nevada and Connor's baby. OTOH, I liked seeing how lively things got at the hospital (including all of the precautions) balanced out with some tedious moments. OTOH, the one thing I feel extremely meh abt when it comes to IA books is seeing the MCs get married and (almost immediately) have kids. *Hands*
In the end, I gave this novella (and the short stories) a 3 out of 5.
Current fic tally
Have picked up 53, DNF'd 25. NOT terribs, so I'm not stressing. (Though I gotta admit that February turned out to be a HORRIBLE MONTH for various reasons and so I ended up reading way less fic than usual.)
Some thoughts
An uneven start to the year. Whenever I wasn't frustrated by something I picked up, I ended up feeling disappointed. Until the last two books, that is. However, none of the negatives led me into a reading slump--which is something that's happened before--so small mercies and all that!
I'm optimistic vis a vis my reading for the rest of 2026. ;D
Up next
An F/F Second Chances romance, an M/M mystery, a historical M/F romance, and the first (?) book in a sci-fi series. 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾
* Naked in Death and Glory in Death (Books 1 and 2 of the In Death series, mystery/thriller romance) by J.D. Robb - Eve Dallas is a homicide detective in 2058. She tends to get assigned to v. complicated and often violent cases. Her life turns upside down when she crosses path with Roarke, a billionaire with a dark past . . .
I'd read these first two books in an ongoing series (there are 60-odd books so far) 7 or 8 yrs ago based on a YouTuber's rec. OTOH, I legit DON'T vibe with Nora Roberts' other books. OTOH, these books are well-written and structured in a way that make them engaging reads. Yes, these novels (hell, the entire series even!) are 100% copaganda in the sense that Eve is one of the main POVs AND she's v. "cops know what to do cuz they're there to protect ppl, etc". I had to actively choose to ignore those "rah-rah to cops" bits when I first picked up these novels years ago and I had to do that all over again this time around.
Part of what I liked was the idea of a future (that's way closer now vs. when the books were first published in the mid-1990s!) and seeing how much it resembles our world when compared to the books' 'verse. I do like Eve as a character as well as Roarke. And the two of them together have fantastic banter & snark with an underlying sense of romantic feelings from both. And so, a hook (for me, at least) is seeing how their relationship will develop throughout the series.
THAT SAID, these novels have v. violent scenes. Especially when it comes to the villains' ultra-misogynistic opinions on women (oof!). The sex scenes between Eve and Roarke are V. CHEESY in a way that made me giggle?
Additionally, there's an ongoing part that made me 😳 and 😬 the first time I read these books. I didn't see ANYONE warn for this specific thing:: Eve is a CSA incest survivor. Each book (so far, I've only read 2) have scenes where she'll have flashbacks to her abuse. The scenes are presented in a way that readers can see them approaching and can skip them. FWIW, the focus of the scenes have to do with Eve's hurt abt being abused. She has moments of PTSD abt it and (to date) has avoided getting any kind of therapy to help her further.
My main complaint abt both books is that the villains are v. easy to suss out. I'd forgotten a lot of the actual plot, but as soon as certain characters popped up, I remembered they were the murderers, IJS. I'm in no particular hurry to catch up with the series, so I'm guesstimating I'll read a new book every few months. We'll see. I gave both books a 3 out of 5.
I DNF'd
* Double the D (Capricorn Cove #2, M/M/F contemporary romance) by Evie Mitchell - Blue is a nurse who lives in a small town. She's had feelings for Drake and Dane, two best friends who left the town when they enlisted in the marines at 18 y.o. A decade later, they've returned with the intention of getting in a relationship with Blue.
This is an 86-page novella by an author whose books I've liked before. It's part of a series where the women are unapologetically fat and desirable. I was game for an M/M/F. Good times, right?
WRONG!
The writing was poor. Also, the two guys were v. interchangeable--something that wasn't helped by their names both starting with D.
ANYHOO, I started to give this novella the evil eye from thhe v. first paragraph:
"Dane Butler and Drake Andrew were more like brothers than tangential foster kids who happened to inhabit the same group home."Something abt that specific line made me go "HUH".
Additional context: the group home was run by Blue's own parents. So all three met when they were all teenagers. One night, Blue sees Dane and Drake getting it on. Shortly after, they turn 18 and leave for the marines.
Later, in Chapter 3 (which is from Blue's POV), she's freaking out cuz she's staying over at Dane and Drake's house due to "plot" reasons (don't ask me abt the plot. There's none.) She's unable to fall asleep cuz her mind wanders to the past:
"My parents had taken in kids no one wanted. Pregnant teens with screaming babies, damaged children from broken homes, teens with eyes too old and burning anger at the world. All types had passed through our doors. I had one blood sister and one blood brother, but hundreds of siblings by association.
Drake and Dane were the "siblings" I'd ever wanted to sleep with."
Me at all of this 🙄🙄🙄. Listen, I get it's not a big deal to some, but I don't like ANY kind of incest (including the pseudo kind such as between foster siblings, former or not.) I got squicked super fast and had to return this novella to the library. I'm V. AWARE that other ppl mighteven like that additional layer of ~taboo. More power to y'all.
I gave this novella 1 star out of 5.
* The Wolf and the Crown of Blood (The Broken Accords #1, M/F dark romantasy) by Elizabeth May - Bryony is a princess whose mission in life is to get sacrificed every month as part of a ritual that will keep a promise between humans and gods. One day, the god-king decides to undo her "curse" and send his top assassin, a.k.a Evander, a.k.a. the Wolf, to kill Bryony for defying the god-king or whatever.
Evander and Bryony are V. HOT FOR EACH OTHER, THO. WHATEVER WILL THEY DO????
OK, so let me not be super bitchy and give this novel the kudos it deserves. The worldbuilding is robust. I also noticed how the author was weaving the idea of religion (and its extremes) + society + whatever hot times were gonna happen between Bryony and Evander (there are Trigger/Content warnings at the beginning of the book.) Also, dunno if she got a better editor or what, but the writing had improved from the last two books of hers I'd attempted to read.
THAT SAID, for all of the DRAMARAMA and (promised) sexy times, I legit didn't care abt anything going on. I didn't dislike either MC, but I wasn't feeling drawn to the story. When I saw I had some 480-odd pages to go, I chose to return this book to the library after having read only the first 10% or so. Clearly this author is simply NOT for me. And that's fine! I gave this book a 2 out of 5.
Had an awesome time at first (but it all went downhill from there).
* Every Body Yoga. Let Go of Fear. Get On the Mat. Love Your Body (Nonfiction) by Jessamyn Stanley - A how-to and general book on yoga by a person who has been v. vocal abt the need for inclusivity (in terms of race and body sizes) in yoga spaces.
I bought this book around 8 yrs ago, but didn't get around to reading it until this year. It's split into three sections: the first one covers the general history of yoga + different types of yoga + how in-person classes go + Jessamyn's own history with yoga. The second section is abt the most common positions most practitioners will do at some point or another (these feature detailed instructions and have photos.) The last part has a few sequences with different goals.
NGL, I did liked reading abt Jessamyn and how they have had to deal with being fat and Black in a space that, at least in the West, tends to glorify thin and white bodies. Their candor abt having to push past their own shyness/awkwardness/discomfort will feel v. familiar to many ppl who, again, might not fit the thin and/or white descriptions.
OTOH, I was v. disappointed that there weren't any tips or modifications for any of the poses. Especially cuz I'd taken many of Jessamyn's online classes and was v. familiar with how many suggestions they give while teaching. Instead, all of the instructions were painfully standard.
In the end, I didn't feel like I learned anything new (FTR, I've been practicing yoga for 20-odd years), but I can see how this would be a good book for newbies to check out. I gave this book a 2.3 out of 5.
* Fat Off, Fat On (Memoir) by Clarkisha Kent -
A v. intense book (in terms of the themes the author writes abt) that, unfortch, didn't work for me.
FTR, I have followed the author since she was on Twitter many years ago. I've learned a lot through her posts on a myriad of issues. So, I have to admit that my expectations for her memoir were higher-than-normal.
I finished it cuz I'd waited to read it for so long, IDK. As memoirs go, this was a disappointment. Though that was the result of what I thought the book was gonna be like vs. what the author decided to write about. Mood wise, this book was mostly a downer, IDK. Personally, the humor was a BIG MISS for *me*. I gave this book a 2.1 out of 5
It was . . . fine?
The Governess Affair (Book 0.5 of The Brothers Sinister series, Historical romance) by Courtney Milan - Serena was let go of her position. She's decided she'll get compensation from a duke (her now-former employer) one way or another. Hugo, mostly known as the Wolf of Cleremont, is sent by his employer (the duke) to deal with Serena...
I picked this book from my TBR (where it'd been for a decade or so?) cuz I wanted something good to read. Really liked the MCs together and separately. I also appreciated that the obstacles felt real (tho some aspects of how the MCs overcame them were a bit handwave-y.) The writing was excellent as expected from any Courtney Milan book.
HOWEVAH, there was a LOT of plot AND themes packed into something that was barely over 100 pages long! The romance went into "I Love Youuuu!" territory too fast,but whatevs.
Please be warned that Serena is an SA survivor and that there are a couple of scenes in which she has non-graphic flashbacks to the assault. It didn't make me feel skittish, but I figured a heads up is welcomed. I gave this novella a 3 out of 5 and do plan to continue the series.
Good vibes all around
* Beast Business (Book 6.5 of Hidden Legacy series, Urban fantasy romance) by Ilona Andrews - Augustine is one of most powerful illusion Primes around. He's known for being aloof and practical. One day, he gets hired by Diana, an animal mage Prime, who needs his help in rescuing something that was taken from her home. Unlike Augustine, Diana is all instinct and heightened emotions. The two team up on a mission against one of the most dangerous ppl in the world . . .
Augustine has been one of those Hidden Legacy characters I've kept an eye on even if I haven't found him AS fascinating as other characters in the books. Leave it to IA to make me question my earlier aloofness, LOL. I thoroughly enjoyed this deep dive into who Augustine is, his backstory, and the true extent of his power. Out of the two POVs, I enjoyed his the most. If only cuz he sounded so flustered despite keeping a cool facade.
That's not to say that I disliked Diana or her POV. It was more of thinking she was a neat foil. She was chaotic and (pun intended) wild to Augustine's calculating and manipulative persona. Oh, and the plot was solid too!
What actually got me to give this novella a 👍🏾, tho, were the short stories at the end of the book. Some of them filled in the gaps regarding certain events in the main story (I've got the feeling this might not make much sense unless you've read this book, but there we are. 😜).
Seeing things from Arabella's POV was v, v. cool. The Matilda story was a good way to wrap the main story up--with just a smidgen of bittersweetness to balance everything out.
Heck, I even liked the two interviews at the v. end. Neat xover with Innkeeper Chronicles too!
One of the things that DIDN'T work for me was the "romance". This is the one (1) area where the format's limitations worked against the story.
It's not that I questioned Augustine/Diana (eventually) becoming a couple. My problem was that it turned to be insta-love for two characters who are extremely cautious/wary by nature. Whenever the story veered into the "OMG, I'm so attracted to her/him" and musing abt their romance/wanting to keep touching each other/getting turned on by something the other character had done (usually something violent cuz why not?), I sighed cuz rushing a romance is a pet peeve of mine.
The INTENSITY of Augustine and Diana's feelings was borderline ridiculous! Their one saving grace was they'd known each other for a number of years. I'm not outright discarding them as a couple, but I wish there had been a bit more subtlety in terms of their attraction to each other. At times, Augustine would sound kinda OOC whenever he waxed poetic abt Diana.
ANOTHER thing I'm ambivalent abt was the story of the birth of Nevada and Connor's baby. OTOH, I liked seeing how lively things got at the hospital (including all of the precautions) balanced out with some tedious moments. OTOH, the one thing I feel extremely meh abt when it comes to IA books is seeing the MCs get married and (almost immediately) have kids. *Hands*
In the end, I gave this novella (and the short stories) a 3 out of 5.
Current fic tally
Have picked up 53, DNF'd 25. NOT terribs, so I'm not stressing. (Though I gotta admit that February turned out to be a HORRIBLE MONTH for various reasons and so I ended up reading way less fic than usual.)
Some thoughts
An uneven start to the year. Whenever I wasn't frustrated by something I picked up, I ended up feeling disappointed. Until the last two books, that is. However, none of the negatives led me into a reading slump--which is something that's happened before--so small mercies and all that!
I'm optimistic vis a vis my reading for the rest of 2026. ;D
Up next
An F/F Second Chances romance, an M/M mystery, a historical M/F romance, and the first (?) book in a sci-fi series. 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾
Poetry of Chiyo-ni: The Life and Art of Japan's Most Celebrated Woman Haiku Master
Mar. 10th, 2026 11:19 amrunpunkrunPoetry of Chiyo-ni: The Life and Art of Japan's Most Celebrated Woman Haiku Master, edited and translated by Patricia Donegan & Yoshie Ishibashi:
An important book as it was the first—and perhaps still the only—of its kind in English, a translation dedicated to a female haiku master. The introductory material provides valuable context for the time in which Chiyo-ni lived, the forms she worked in, and the influence of Zen Buddhism on her art, but it can be repetitive, covering the same ground multiple times, and I wish the biography had stuck closer to things that could be verified and wasn't so gossipy. We know very little about Chiyo-ni's personal life, not even if she was married, and Donegan apparently felt the need to pad her bio with unnecessary—and often melodramatic—speculation.
Chiyo-ni's haiku has, you'll never guess it, a more feminine approach than those of the old male masters, and for this her poetry has been criticized—by men—as not being "as good." But here's yet another example of men needing to shut up and let women work. Chiyo-ni's poetry is different because it's hers, just as Issa's work is different from Bashō's. Chiyo-ni's haiku is often more personal than that of the old male masters, with more people, particularly women, present in them:
woman's desire
deeply rooted–
the wild violets
Bashō would never. Issa might, but he'd add fleas. (Not in a gross way, he just loved bugs!)
Chiyo-ni's haiku is perhaps also more deeply rooted in Zen Buddhism—she was a nun after all—and as a result I found many of them inaccessible to me, as they're mainly interested in expressing Zen principles and feel kind of canned as she repeatedly returns to the same images and phrases. "Cool clear water" is nice once or twice. It is not as nice the fortieth time. It didn't help that the editors were constantly in the footnotes explaining how this was a poem about impermanence or non-duality and praising the deepness of her understanding of such things. It started to make the poetry feel performative, like Chiyo-ni was trying to win some kind of contest, and it didn't offer much to this non-enlightened reader. Like they didn't even bother to explain what non-duality was. But I still found several pieces that were meaningful even without Being The Best At Zen, like this, one of her best-known poems:
a hundred gourds
from the heart
of one vine
And her most famous haiku:
morning glory–
the well-bucket entangled
I ask for water
And this, one of her best known Buddhist haiku, which is supposedly expressing the peace of detachment, but I just love how dismissively breezy it is:
anyway
leave it to the wind—
dry pampas grass
I, too, wish I could leave it all to the wind.
Recommended because it's important to keep Chiyo-ni's name out there, mentioned in the same breath as Bashō, Buson, and Issa, but there's also good poetry in here. Like this haiku, which I absolutely love because the structure suggests that the horsetails were there first and the ruins came later.
つくつくしここらに寺の跡もあり
tsukutsukushi / kokora ni tera no / ato mo ari
among a field
of horsetail weeds–
temple ruins
Or this classic:
falling down laughing
at others falling down—
snow viewing
The poems are presented one per page, with the transliteration first, which is a weird choice, then the English translation, and the Japanese (with furigana) in three staggered vertical columns, read right to left. (Personally, I think either the translation or the actual Japanese should have been offered first, as the transliteration is the least attractive on the page and not particularly meaningful if you don't know Japanese. If you do know Japanese, it's still of limited use.) Footnotes identify the kigo (seasonal word), and many include translation notes, further background, or another poem on a similar subject.
Now for the bad news: I read this in ebook because that was the only way my library had it, and it was not a pleasurable experience. It's listed as an epub in the catalogue, but it sure did act like a PDF. It was an image of the book rather than a text that would flow to fit your screen, and you could only zoom in, not increase the font wholesale. You couldn't highlight text (or search) with any accuracy, and you couldn't highlight at all if you were zoomed in. None of the many end notes were linked. I was pretty mad at this book, not going to lie, and it made my time with Chiyo-ni's poetry kind of frustrating. Definitely get it in print if you're able.
An important book as it was the first—and perhaps still the only—of its kind in English, a translation dedicated to a female haiku master. The introductory material provides valuable context for the time in which Chiyo-ni lived, the forms she worked in, and the influence of Zen Buddhism on her art, but it can be repetitive, covering the same ground multiple times, and I wish the biography had stuck closer to things that could be verified and wasn't so gossipy. We know very little about Chiyo-ni's personal life, not even if she was married, and Donegan apparently felt the need to pad her bio with unnecessary—and often melodramatic—speculation.
Chiyo-ni's haiku has, you'll never guess it, a more feminine approach than those of the old male masters, and for this her poetry has been criticized—by men—as not being "as good." But here's yet another example of men needing to shut up and let women work. Chiyo-ni's poetry is different because it's hers, just as Issa's work is different from Bashō's. Chiyo-ni's haiku is often more personal than that of the old male masters, with more people, particularly women, present in them:
woman's desire
deeply rooted–
the wild violets
Bashō would never. Issa might, but he'd add fleas. (Not in a gross way, he just loved bugs!)
Chiyo-ni's haiku is perhaps also more deeply rooted in Zen Buddhism—she was a nun after all—and as a result I found many of them inaccessible to me, as they're mainly interested in expressing Zen principles and feel kind of canned as she repeatedly returns to the same images and phrases. "Cool clear water" is nice once or twice. It is not as nice the fortieth time. It didn't help that the editors were constantly in the footnotes explaining how this was a poem about impermanence or non-duality and praising the deepness of her understanding of such things. It started to make the poetry feel performative, like Chiyo-ni was trying to win some kind of contest, and it didn't offer much to this non-enlightened reader. Like they didn't even bother to explain what non-duality was. But I still found several pieces that were meaningful even without Being The Best At Zen, like this, one of her best-known poems:
a hundred gourds
from the heart
of one vine
And her most famous haiku:
morning glory–
the well-bucket entangled
I ask for water
And this, one of her best known Buddhist haiku, which is supposedly expressing the peace of detachment, but I just love how dismissively breezy it is:
anyway
leave it to the wind—
dry pampas grass
I, too, wish I could leave it all to the wind.
Recommended because it's important to keep Chiyo-ni's name out there, mentioned in the same breath as Bashō, Buson, and Issa, but there's also good poetry in here. Like this haiku, which I absolutely love because the structure suggests that the horsetails were there first and the ruins came later.
つくつくしここらに寺の跡もあり
tsukutsukushi / kokora ni tera no / ato mo ari
among a field
of horsetail weeds–
temple ruins
Or this classic:
falling down laughing
at others falling down—
snow viewing
The poems are presented one per page, with the transliteration first, which is a weird choice, then the English translation, and the Japanese (with furigana) in three staggered vertical columns, read right to left. (Personally, I think either the translation or the actual Japanese should have been offered first, as the transliteration is the least attractive on the page and not particularly meaningful if you don't know Japanese. If you do know Japanese, it's still of limited use.) Footnotes identify the kigo (seasonal word), and many include translation notes, further background, or another poem on a similar subject.
Now for the bad news: I read this in ebook because that was the only way my library had it, and it was not a pleasurable experience. It's listed as an epub in the catalogue, but it sure did act like a PDF. It was an image of the book rather than a text that would flow to fit your screen, and you could only zoom in, not increase the font wholesale. You couldn't highlight text (or search) with any accuracy, and you couldn't highlight at all if you were zoomed in. None of the many end notes were linked. I was pretty mad at this book, not going to lie, and it made my time with Chiyo-ni's poetry kind of frustrating. Definitely get it in print if you're able.
some movies
Mar. 6th, 2026 09:04 pmsnickficDrowning by Numbers (1988). A woman, her daught, and her niece are all named Cissie, drown their husbands, and depend on the local coroner Madgett (Bernard Hill) to cover up their crimes.
This is a surrealist late-80s comedy meditating on death and also games and numbers of various kinds, which is to say it feels very much of a piece with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, except for having no Shakespeare and being more focused on female characters. It's all nonsense; nobody is really a real person here, and that's fine. It's also pretty horny in various ways, and in fact Madgett proposes to each of the Cissies in turn. You kind of want him to succeed with one or possibly all of them.
If you want a sense of what you're in for with this movie, Madgett's introduction gives you a pretty good one.
--
The Bride! (2026). Maggie Gyllenhaal directs this riff on the Frankenstein mythos, this time a sometime-musical Bonnie and Clyde story about Frankenstein's creature Frank (Christian Bale), still alive in the 1930s, and the bride (Jessie Buckley) that he talks a mad scientist into "reinvigorating" for him. The dead woman thus invigorated was a mobster's call girl, but she doesn't remember any of that anymore. Sometimes Mary Shelley talks to her for some reason.
If you get the sense from this description that this movie has a lot going on, you are correct. I would say this movie is less than the sum of its parts, but I really enjoy several of those parts. Buckley is fantastic, and Annette Bening as Doctor Euphronius is delightful. The big dance number is fun. The movie has a lot of style and is sometimes cheekily anachronistic.
The various pieces don't ever really cohere; there are too many of them. And some of the pieces I enjoyed less, like the Overboard-style plot where our revived gal thinks she's still alive and was already married to Frank before her "accident." The subplot of her being occasionally literally possessed by Mary Shelley was just baffling to me. I get that it was supposed to be thematic, but: why. But, the movie tackles all its various tones and themes with a lot of energy and verve, and overall I found a lot to enjoy.
--
Send Help (2026). A frumpy woman who dreams of competing on Survivor crashlands on an island with her horrible boss.
This is a psychological thriller by Sam Raimi, and it took me a long time to go see it because ~suspense movies about people chasing each other around trying to kill each other aren't usually my thing. (See also: every home invasion movie except You're Next.) But! We don't really get that until the end, and in the meantime, Rachel McAdams is delightful as Linda Little, who's competent and helpful to a fault until she's finally pushed too far. I love how much of a glow-up Linda gets the longer they stay on the island. There were also some late developments that I really liked.
It's not breaking any new ground, but it's fun and well-executed. If you support women's wrongs(tm), I think you'll enjoy this.
This is a surrealist late-80s comedy meditating on death and also games and numbers of various kinds, which is to say it feels very much of a piece with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, except for having no Shakespeare and being more focused on female characters. It's all nonsense; nobody is really a real person here, and that's fine. It's also pretty horny in various ways, and in fact Madgett proposes to each of the Cissies in turn. You kind of want him to succeed with one or possibly all of them.
If you want a sense of what you're in for with this movie, Madgett's introduction gives you a pretty good one.
--
The Bride! (2026). Maggie Gyllenhaal directs this riff on the Frankenstein mythos, this time a sometime-musical Bonnie and Clyde story about Frankenstein's creature Frank (Christian Bale), still alive in the 1930s, and the bride (Jessie Buckley) that he talks a mad scientist into "reinvigorating" for him. The dead woman thus invigorated was a mobster's call girl, but she doesn't remember any of that anymore. Sometimes Mary Shelley talks to her for some reason.
If you get the sense from this description that this movie has a lot going on, you are correct. I would say this movie is less than the sum of its parts, but I really enjoy several of those parts. Buckley is fantastic, and Annette Bening as Doctor Euphronius is delightful. The big dance number is fun. The movie has a lot of style and is sometimes cheekily anachronistic.
The various pieces don't ever really cohere; there are too many of them. And some of the pieces I enjoyed less, like the Overboard-style plot where our revived gal thinks she's still alive and was already married to Frank before her "accident." The subplot of her being occasionally literally possessed by Mary Shelley was just baffling to me. I get that it was supposed to be thematic, but: why. But, the movie tackles all its various tones and themes with a lot of energy and verve, and overall I found a lot to enjoy.
--
Send Help (2026). A frumpy woman who dreams of competing on Survivor crashlands on an island with her horrible boss.
This is a psychological thriller by Sam Raimi, and it took me a long time to go see it because ~suspense movies about people chasing each other around trying to kill each other aren't usually my thing. (See also: every home invasion movie except You're Next.) But! We don't really get that until the end, and in the meantime, Rachel McAdams is delightful as Linda Little, who's competent and helpful to a fault until she's finally pushed too far. I love how much of a glow-up Linda gets the longer they stay on the island. There were also some late developments that I really liked.
It's not breaking any new ground, but it's fun and well-executed. If you support women's wrongs(tm), I think you'll enjoy this.
handy Dreamwidth tricks
Mar. 6th, 2026 07:37 pmsnickficIn one place that's easy for me to find.
- via elasticella: If you'd like to filter by multiple tags, add them via comma with ?mode=all at the end. For example, all my recs posts also tagged with Oasis: https://snickfic.dreamwidth.org/tag/fandom:+oasis,entry:+recs?mode=all
- If you're a paid user, DW allows you to filter out specific tags by other users (for example, my "topic: politics" tag). It's just not easy to find. First you need to make an access filter and put the person on that filter, and then once they are in the filter, click on their name and all their tags will pop up.
One suggestion would be to make a filter with your entire circle in it, and then just take out the tags you don't want. Then that could be your default view of your circle.