Thrihyrne

Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland

Like the author, I went to Iceland 'just because', drawn to its isolation and language and exotic landscape. Sarah Moss' novel about her year spent there teaching right after the economic collapse, as a foreigner in a country where the phone book lists only first names, is eloquent and intimate. Her prose style is accessible and suffused with beautiful turns of phrase without being self-aware. Having gone to Iceland twice myself, I resonated to this novel in a way I've not with any literature in a long time. Moss is a literary marvel, her descriptions vibrant and compelling. Her observations on herself and her environment are candid and often bittersweet; I felt every bit her confidante.

I'm looking forward to trying out her fiction!

This movie was recommended to me by my Kiwi friend along with several others either set in NZ or in this case, featuring one— although the person it's about, Burt Munro, is played by Anthony Hopkins. Burt Munro really loved to ride motorcycles fast. He worked on his for hours each day, for years and years, and was apparently quite the mechanic and innovative engineer, making parts for his cycle to allow it to go faster and faster. He set world speed records in his 60s! This is a very 'feel good' movie, suitable for any audience. The disc that I got from the library also features a documentary about Burt made in the 70s, also recommended. It was fun to see and hear him, the real person, after seeing him as portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. Unsurprisingly, he did a great job. ;)

I go through phases in my book reading, and right now I'm into non-fiction for the most part. I'm really enjoying Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond, especially now that I'm about to get two chapters about the Vikings and their time in Greenland. Diamond has written two other non-fiction books about other topics that I'm sure I'll get around to reading. Today is a perfect day for sitting in front of the fire with my tome and enjoying it. :)

So I continue to look for jobs- I didn't get the one at PSU where I actually had an interview. But I'm tenacious and will keep searching, of course. I do have a cushion, but not that much of one. Last night I stayed up until 2-something finishing reading a fun book, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper, written by Diablo Cody. She wrote the screenplay for Juno, I believe. I don't think I've seen that, but I should probably put it on my list.

The trees are changing color now, and today was a bright, sunny day. Not the weather I moved here for! :P But the trees on the various hills are beautiful and I'll have plenty of months to be cold and enjoy the cold.

Had several wonderful phone conversations yesterday, one with my sister and three with other friends. I'm really excited because one of my best friends, Jen, is moving from Eugene to Vancouver, WA, which is just across the river from Portland. So my bestie and I can do all kinds of stuff. Well, I really chafe at spending money, unless it's for big trips or the occasional sweater. And food— but I'd gotten used to eating with my parents when I lived there and then I went on foodstamps.But we can do free stuff, and once I'm employed I won't be *quite* so miserly. I'm simply thrifty by nature. That said, I've already bought some cool shoes and jeans. I adore Goodwill. Anyway, one thing we definitely have planned is that she's coming for Thanksgiving and will happily do the cooking. She says her Thanksgiving fare is a real cholesterol-fest. And there will be chocolate pecan pie. *drool*

This is not a particularly interesting post, I'm noting. Oh well. I'd been having internet issues and not online very much, and I'd said I won't be posting as often, probably. As for the internet, I'm now on my third company to get what I want. It's been rather frustrating.

I have about 100 pages to go in The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. It's scifi, a genre I've been fond of since age 13, though this particular book I'd put as 82% fiction to 8% science part. There is another planet involved, and her background as an anthropologist shines through. I'm in this super awkward phase of it because I know that many of the characters are going to be dead by the end (that's not a surprise; you know that within the first 10 pages or so) and I can't bear to know what happens… But of course I'm desperate to know what happens! I am in awe of the storytelling, the uncluttered prose, and I haven't inhaled a book like this in a while. Highly recommended, even though I haven't finished it yet. I may post about it more in detail when finished.

I also spent a few hours yesterday re-reading my own original fic novella, taking notes about the characters on index cards as well as writing down how much time was passing in the margins. I had no real sense of how many days had gone by from the beginning to where I've begun writing again. I wasn't even certain of the season! But now I know, and there can be more consistencies. It's such a joy to be flooded with new ideas again. Not just for this story, though that's where my focus is, but I'm going to do some medical research and write a sequel for the recent R/D I wrote, plus I think I'm going to write a sequel to my Rohirric/Dwarvish cultural interaction story recently posted but written last November. I've been a fan of writing about inter-cultural relations in the Ardaverse, especially those to do with Dwarves. Having one of my favorites (Gimli, of course) set up shop in the caves of Helm's Deep means I can have some fun in installments with a post-WR gapfiller that's genfic and I can spend some more time in Rohan. Figuratively. ;)

Two of my longer-term LJ friends had been on my mind but I hadn't heard from in quite some time. To my relief, after sending out emails I've discovered that they're both still around, both dealing with some trauma, but back in touch. Time to get some more international postage stamps as I'll be writing some long letters.

Oh! And I'll be seeing HP7 part 2 tomorrow with my stepdad and a friend from choir. Should be fun! I'm not all that sentimental about it since I came over to HP via fanfiction and that's where my closest attachment lies. But I'll look forward to seeing the more grown up Gryffindor boys and girls.

So I've found a new reality TV show to download and watch while knitting— well, two, actually. I'm starting to watch "Coast and Beyond," hosted by the yummy Neil Oliver, but I've also been watching something called "Supersize vs. Superskinny." There's just something so wonderful about British reality TV. I'm hooked. It's pure escapism as I sit and knit and learn about Celts, Scots, Great Britain's geography, and people. I finished sleeve #1 yesterday, the one that I'd knitted 3/4 of before realizing the flowers were upside down. :P Now I'm on sleeve #2- I'll post another picture when it's done, at which point all that will be left is to knit ribbing around the collar and then the front plackets. Amazing!!! I'm also going to start knitting Australian animals as gifts for my nieces and nephews. This is a joint project with my mother, though she ordered yarn based on what we had decided to knit, but then when we visited my stepsisters and their spouses, they asked for different animals. I'm going to be working on a sugar glider, but she didn't buy any grey yarn. Perhaps it will be a brown sugar glider.

Thanks to my friend who was here on LJ as emansil_08 (she's taking time away and deleted her LJ), I'm nearly finished with Three Junes by Julia Glass. The storytelling is really superb, I love the characters, and my only wish is that it were longer. With a gay main character and a lot of it set in Scotland, she was right in assuming that I'd enjoy it.

I believe that there are some on my flist who are/were friends with risiepookie? I sent her a card a couple of months ago and have made intermittent phone calls, but haven't heard from her in a very long time now. I assume that her life is busy and she's probably moved on to the dreaded Facebook or something, but if anyone on my flist is in contact with her, I'd love to know how she's doing. Please let her know I miss being in contact with her, very much.

And now, more knitting. :D

This afternoon I finished reading Are You Somebody? by Irish author Nuala O'Faolain. It is, as she calls it, an accidental memoir. I was first introduced to another book of hers, Almost There, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'd been reading Are You Somebody in bits and snatches, but had a couple of hours to myself this afternoon and I finished the book. At the end of the Afterword, I found myself crying. Nuala O'Faolain came from a large Irish family and she's quite candid about the abuse, her travels, her relationships, her jobs. It isn't self-deprecating, nor does she point fingers in any direction. She simply tells her story, and it's absolutely engrossing, as well as heart-wrending.

Highly recommended reading, especially for those who enjoy autobiographies of someone who is, as she says, an ordinary person. If anybody else has read it and found themselves similarly moved, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the book.

Portland really is great for unexpected bumper stickers. But first, snow! Today it snowed, it rained, and it hailed. Multiple times, each meteorological event. It's bloody cold. The snow didn't stick or anything, but it was pretty to watch.

Pirates! I mentioned euclase because for a while there she was writing and drawing art for a really cool story about Snow Pirates. So the weather and today's 'make Thev smile' bumper sticker made me think of her. I'd also sent her a thank you card because she's continued to fill my life with music I'd not otherwise be exposed to. You're also a wonderful friend with a mind I can totally relate to, and for that I'm grateful, dear. (((hugs)))



So this morning's bumper sticker that caught my eye was: Proud parent of a pirate. Hence the art here today. ;)

Not much else to report: work is getting quite busy, so no more sitting around editing or typing stuff up for me! I am at last making solid progress on new and edited scenes for M+M. I also had a lovely chat with kymyrra and a much-needed and cathartic IM with elfscribe5. If you're a Tolkien fan and/or a fan of quality writing, especially in time periods not often covered in fanfic and you're not on her friend's list, go and ask to join! She's writing a really fascinating and compelling story set in Numenor, so it's a Second Age fic. Here's her summary: This story takes place in the Second Age, a little over 1600 years after Sauron created the One Ring and then later destroyed Ost-in-Edhil. At this time, Sauron has declared himself King of Men in Middle-earth and so Ar-Pharazon, last King of Numenor, assembles the largest army ever seen and sails to Middle-earth to defeat him. Fabulous writing and very vivid characterizations. Go, read this WIP and let her know your thoughts!

Also, total random: from time to time I check out Site Meter, which I have on my website. Somebody from Poland spent 80 minutes at my site, having found it through a search for harry/ron fanfiction. What was the last page s/he looked at? My one and only Snape/Seamus story. o_O

Yes, you saw that right. I've been conferring with a couple of Tolkien-centric people on my flist, found via the Wraeththu fandom (yes, you also read that correctly), and found myself looking through the slashy_santa archives. I know I've mentioned before that I've been leaning more and more toward writing Tolkien fanfiction again, and this gem that I stumbled across has pushed me over the edge back into it.

Oh, and I bought my airline tickets to go to England in October. And then my credit card company blocked me and I had to explain myself. Still, I'll be at the Con and will meet Storm Constantine and veloona who will be visiting from Germany and hopefully callumjames as well, and maybe even ducking over to Ireland. If not, I'll spend a couple of days in Wales. Email me if you want flight details.

So! :cough: llembas, I know you've been having rather a craptastic week, and a couple of years ago when I was writing fic as Christmas gifts, you asked for a Halbarad-centric story and I wrote a wee one. This is an Erestor/Halbarad fic, though as the requester stated, s/he wanted characterization much more than explicit smut, and the author, Lady E, delivered a thousand-fold. It's quiet, understated prose, with some repetition of phrases that I know was intentional, to do with listening (on Erestor's end) and the cage of bones and pulse of blood (for the Man), and it's simply exquisite.

Those of you on my flist whom I've known initially since my Tolkien days, and many who crossover with the Ardaverse, please go here to read "And Whisper You to This Earth". You won't regret it. The only complaint I would lodge, if I had to, is that it's done in present tense, which, as a rule, I dislike. [ACK! In reading my story for Jen that is Halbarad-centric, I see it was also written in present tense. ::raps knuckles::] I was more than willing to overlook it for the rarepair-ness of the coupling (which, I'll admit, was what first drew me in), her canonical knowledge, the imagery and sparse tone to the story, and the innate tragedy of any mixing of Elves and Men. But this one is so inherently quiet in its presentation, which makes it all the more profound when it comes to both its passionate crux and pre-known tragedy.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Just saying.

Back to your weekend and watching the Olympics, or whatever else. I've maxxed out on Project Runway, Shear Genius and Britain's Next Top Model. I've been writing Ithiel-centric fic and dealing with my credit card company and booking my flight to England. Color me done for today. :P

For my many R/D friends, I have a new fic for you, written by a dear friend and very talented authoress, geoviki. It's here, A Slow-Motion Accident. It's cleverly written, has a unique plot to get the two together, features an acerbic!ghost!Draco and resigned!earnest!Ron. There's also a bit of hotness, and it's heart-warming as well.

Go read it between OotP viewings (I'm not even going into the lack-of-Ron-ness that's not secret; I'm not posting my thoughts until after the weekend) and enjoy some new R/D. And let her know if you enjoyed it! :)