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toastykitten

May 2026

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May. 26th, 2026 01:42 pm

(no subject)

blotthis: (Default)
[personal profile] blotthis
Since I last musicblogged, I've listened to a fair amount of new-to-me music!

Miki, Yoa, Marguerite, PinkPantheress: Electropop I liked )

The War and Treaty, Daisy Grenade, MUNA, Natalie Jinju, Melanie Martinez: Some disappointments :( )

In singles, I am absolutely loving Olivia Rodrigo's "Drop Dead" and "The Cure" is growing on me; Lola Young is really something, and I love "From Down Here (From The Water);" Isleña Antumalen & Javiera Mena's "Madrugadas de nada" is a fun crepescular summer track; I don't like Adéla's "KGB" as much as I hoped, but "DeathByDevotion" still slaps.

I'm looking forward to checking out what Grace Ives is up to (SHE'S OPENING FOR OLIVIA? LAST I CHECKED SHE WAS ELIGIBLE FOR A UNDER 25K FOLLOWERS MUSIC LEAGUE ROUND); the new album from María José Llergo; going back for old Paramore; finally listening to Alligator Bites Never Heal, the recentish Tate McRae, and continuing through the absolute trove of ambient from [personal profile] imbir in this comment.

But as you can see I'm currently really enjoying summery electronic pop (sad or bouncy or dead inside) and pop-inflected metal and punk. Any recommendations warmly welcomed!
May. 26th, 2026 12:20 pm

2026.05.26

lsanderson: (Default)
[personal profile] lsanderson
Asylum approvals plummet at Fort Snelling immigration court as case numbers soar
A MinnPost data analysis reveals a collapsing approval rate driven by lightning-quick hearings, constantly changing legal standards, and an aggressive push to clear the docket.
by Shadi Bushra
https://www.minnpost.com/metro/2026/05/asylum-approvals-plummet-at-fort-snelling-immigration-court-as-case-numbers-soar/

As our infrastructure deteriorates and prices at the pump rise, elected officials are playing politics with gas taxes
Minnesota and the rest of the country need a more stable system to pay for roads.
by Bill Lindeke
https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2026/05/as-our-infrastructure-deteriorates-and-prices-at-the-pump-rise-elected-officials-are-playing-politics-with-gas-taxes/ Read more... )
May. 26th, 2026 12:41 pm

Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke

shati: teddy bear version of the queen seondeok group photo (Default)
[personal profile] shati
I don't think this was a good book, but I had fun reading most of it, and I'm not really mad about its popularity since the conceit ("a traditional American woman, a 'tradwife' influencer, suddenly awakens in the brutal reality of 1855") is great.

Now to be a hater (with spoilers) )
May. 26th, 2026 09:21 am

Both Your Houses, by Emmet A. O'Brien

mrissa: (Default)
[personal profile] mrissa
 

Review copy provided by the author, who is a close friend of decades standing.

This is the first book in a sweeping space opera series (Vega Victrix), but many readers will be relieved (may even throw parades or dance in the streets) to discover that this volume has an ending rather than merely stopping for a minute until the next one. Also, the second one will be out at the same time! More on that in a few days.

Corin Oshima is afraid of her past catching up with her--literally. After her horrible mission on Rossem, she traveled away at more than the speed of light. So when Rossem's history was altered, so was Corin's, and it's only a matter of time (again, literally) until the information wave traveling at the speed of light reaches her and obliterates her past, providing her with a new one--or, if she is too untethered to the current world, taking her out with it.

But she's not just sitting around waiting for time to make fools of us all. As all of us conscientious souls know, there's always work to do--and unfortunately there are always exploiters trying to spend their time treating people and lands as profit sources instead. Further complicating Corin's life are aliens who are rational but very much not human in their priorities, political complications among the human "Houses"...and the person she least wants to see in the universe right now. Even a well-educated and interestingly modified future human like Corin has her hands full!

I have read this entire series to date in draft and am thrilled to see that it's going to be available to the rest of the world so you all can talk to me about it. Highly recommended. 

May. 26th, 2026 01:49 pm

2026/074: Ring the Hill — Tom Cox

tamaranth: me, in the sun (Default)
[personal profile] tamaranth
2026/074: Ring the Hill — Tom Cox

I didn’t see the Tor at its best that evening. Dusk was coming on but the weather was a little drappy — a Somerset word I’d recently learned, which means ‘starting to rain slightly’. Even without the benefit of one of its legendary sunsets, the view from the top pushed you back onto your heels, opening the world’s mouth and allowing you to see humblingly down its throat. [loc. 146]

Read by the author, so it felt almost like going for a long walk with Tom Cox and listening to him talk Read more... )

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May. 26th, 2026 05:46 pm

MerMay The Twentysixth

leecetheartist: Photo of me coming at the camera, in my colourful mermaid gear (Default)
[personal profile] leecetheartist posting in [community profile] drawesome
Title: Observers
Artist: leecetheartist
Rating: G
Fandom: n/a
Characters/Pairings: n/a
Content Notes:
MerMay 26th 2026
The merfolk here are bolder than those at home. But their colouration is decidedly more cryptic than I am used to, so they can be closer than one might think. I've quite often been observing groups at a distance only to become aware of individuals only metres away, observing me in turn. In this strange country, it is not lawful to harm or trap merfolk, or indeed any creature of language, so it is refreshing to see the merpeople sporting about the vessel I have chartered. No one I have spoken to yet speaks the language of the local mer, but a couple of villages west of here apparently do - and it is to these we will set sail tomorrow. Dated this 26th Day of MerMay in Good Tidings ink.


Mermaid from above


Ink


Close up showing part of the tail and some green shimmer
May. 25th, 2026 08:02 pm

Pirate King of Star Patrol

marycatelli: (Golden Hair)
[personal profile] marycatelli posting in [community profile] book_love
Pirate King of Star Patrol by John C. Wright

Starquest book seven. Spoilers ahead for the earlier volumes

Read more... )
May. 25th, 2026 03:56 pm

(no subject)

roadrunnertwice: Scott fends off Matthew Patel's attack. (Reversal! (Scott Pilgrim))
[personal profile] roadrunnertwice

There’s a Greatures tournament arc on right now and it’s ludicrous.

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May. 25th, 2026 09:55 pm

some actual gaming!

wychwood: lilac: how do they rise up, rise up high? (Fan - 25th May)
[personal profile] wychwood
I finished working my way through Terra Nil, and replayed various areas to get more achievements; I still need to go back and finish the last few I don't have yet.

But then I got distracted by Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library!, which is an extremely silly game that is extraordinarily my jam; you work in a magical library, an evil fairy has thrown all the books on the floor, and you can't leave until you've reshelved everything correctly. I found it intensely soothing, have completed five playthroughs and all the achievements, and may well go back again for more later. It also went very well with audiobooks, and I have listened to three audiobooks since I started playing it (not entirely while playing it, but mostly!).

Then I bought a Humble Bundle of puzzle games and started working my way through Proverbs and now also Mega Mosaic, which are a sort of Minesweeper / picross hybrid where you fill in a giant picture by identifying light vs dark spaces using minesweeper-style number clues for each 3x3 area. It's not as satisfying as the library, but also went well with audiobooks and is quite enjoyable.

I think I may actually be swinging back into a phase where I play some real story-heavy games, but we shall see.
May. 25th, 2026 01:43 pm

Book Review

kenjari: (Default)
[personal profile] kenjari
Not Quite a Lady
by Loretta Chase

This is the fourth in the Carsington Brothers historical romance series and the hero is the youngest Carsington, Darius. He spends most of his time scientifically studying agriculture and the mating behaviour of animals. He spends the rest of his time as a rake, pursuing shallow and fleeting affairs. Charlotte Hayward is a gentle, beautiful, intelligent and proper lady who remains unmarried at 27. This is because she was seduced by a cad at the age of 16 and gave birth to a son that she had to give up. Charlotte does not want to marry because she does not want her past to come to light. When Darius is given the task of rehabilitating the derelict estate next to Charlotte's family estate, the two meet and their attraction blooms.
I liked most everything about this romance. There's lots of witty banter and humor. The thing I did not like so much is that Darius starts out a bit cold and sexist, viewing women as mostly silly and dull. He does get better, but I wish either he'd had less sexism to overcome or that he was more self-aware about his getting over it. It just happened, without much reflection on his part. I did like Charlotte a lot. She was extremely clever about putting off suitors, and her heartbreak over her lost child and fall from innocence was moving. I liked how Darius, upon realizing that he loved her, set about solving problems for her.
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May. 25th, 2026 01:21 pm

Book Review

kenjari: (Christine de Pisan)
[personal profile] kenjari
Through Gates of Garnet and Gold
by Seanan McGuire

This is the 11th Wayward Children book. Nancy, a former student at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, returns from the Halls of the Dead looking for help in saving her world. The unquiet dead have turned on the living denizens of the Hall of the Dead, killing and devouring them. The Lord and Lady of the Halls are unable to stop the onslaught, so Nancy turns to her former classmates. A handful of them answer her call for help and go with her to the Halls of the Dead to find out why the dead are destroying the living.
I enjoyed the story, which is a fairly straightforward quest. It was great to spend time with characters from earlier books. Nancy's arc in this book is really interesting. I also liked the themes around belonging, obedience vs. questioning, the different ways people find peace, and what happens when guardians fail to properly protect or care for their charges.
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May. 25th, 2026 12:17 pm

2025.05.25

lsanderson: (Default)
[personal profile] lsanderson
‘It’s Minnesota’s park’: High rollers and Tilt-A-Whirls, Valleyfair celebrates 50 years
Alex V. Cipolle and Jacob Aloi
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/05/25/valleyfair-amusement-park-in-shakopee-celebrates-50-years

Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks prompt raft of conspiracy theories in divided US
Ever-growing influence of social media and AI means such ideas spreading at faster rates than before, experts say
Edward Helmore
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/25/ebola-hantavirus-conspiracy-theories Read more... )
leecetheartist: Photo of me coming at the camera, in my colourful mermaid gear (Default)
[personal profile] leecetheartist posting in [community profile] drawesome

Title: Gloriously Geeky MerMay 25th Towel Day
Artist: leecetheartist
Rating: G
Fandom: Discworld and HHGTTG which are apparently not listed?
Characters/Pairings: n/a
Content Notes:

I hope everyone is having a lovely and Geekly Proud Glorious 25th of May and knows where their towel is. This mermaid does!
 
This is really a case of fandoms colliding, what with MerMay and Towel Day and Geek Pride and the Glorious 25th
 
With love to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett both sadly missed.

 
I never met Douglas but I did meet Sir Terry a few times, and he was a lovely, lovely fellow.
 
Anyway, appropriately enough, this beautiful ink from Diamine and it's called Icy Lavender, and is strong in its chameleon shimmer.
 
I used the Kakimori nib. I am so tired.


A mermaid reads to some silver gulls.

Shimmering ink

 

rydra_wong: Lee Miller photo showing two women wearing metal fire masks in England during WWII. (Default)
[personal profile] rydra_wong
Here's what Peter Watts (author of Blindsight) said about them in Forbes:

Finally, someone I’m sure none of you have ever heard of, because she’s a new Canadian author published by the tiny Bumblepuppy Press, and by the time you read this, her books will be prohibitively expensive due to tariffs. Rachel Rosen, whose ongoing Sleep of Reason trilogy (the second book has only just been released) depicts a future climate-ravaged world in which demons stalk the Rockies and so-called “MAIs” (Magic-Affected Individuals) are used by Canadian politicians to plan their campaigns. Canada falls into dictatorship in the first book; the Resistance hangs on by its fingernails in the second. There are Earthquakes and opera singers and prison camps for human experimentation. There’s a sapient tech-bro submarine. I don’t know how many non-Canadians these books might resonate with, but I’ll bet that number is increasing daily, down below the 49th at least. I would not have believed that a fantasy novel could be so depressingly relevant.


N.B. I would like to point out that the sapient techbro submarine is in fact a sleek black techbro submarine which has been possessed by an eldritch horror from the depths along with the remains of its crew who unfortunately for them may not be wholly dead and it's the resulting entity which may be sapient.

Because personally I feel that Watts is severely underselling how insanely badass this part is. I just really love the submarine, okay?
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tamaranth: me, in the sun (Default)
[personal profile] tamaranth
2026/073: Platform Decay — Martha Wells

Mensah just looked at me and said, “SecUnit.” In that voice. The voice that’s the only reason I’m still here and alive and surrounded by … friends. (Emotion check: Good, actually. Really good.) (Emotion check: It is still hard to say the friends part.) [loc. 2474]

Murderbot is asked by Dr Mensah to help some family members escape from a space station run by evil corporation Barish-Estranza. Turns out the family members (including children, ugh) are being more or less held hostage and may be forced to work for B-E. Read more... )

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May. 24th, 2026 10:45 pm

(no subject)

yuuago: (Movies - PHM - Thoughtful)
[personal profile] yuuago
+ I took some time to read fanfiction this weekend. It's not something that I normally have time to do. On the one hand, I probably could have done something else - there are Tasks that went unfinished - but on the other hand... I'm feeling weirdly inspired to work on my own projects after experiencing someone else's enthusiasm about something they enjoy. That's always nice.

+ Speaking of which, it only just occurred to me, after reading the aforementioned fic, that Project Hail Mary is a good fandom for gen. And this makes me think I should go poking around in it more. Though my own fic output is the exact opposite, I really do appreciate a well-executed genfic. Will have to put this on the to-do list. Among many other things.

+ My fic for FTH is coming along. And considering everything, I think I might do my best to work on it in the evenings in the upcoming months. With the summer weather coming - it was +25C the other day - it's getting to that unpleasant point where electronics are throwing too much heat. Better for me to limit that, and spend time working with pen and paper instead. We'll see. Depends on whether I can get my brain in the right mode, I guess.
yuuago: (Movies - PHM - WELL)
[personal profile] yuuago
Here, have a Project Hail Mary fic rec: Without a Doubt by Voidknight.

Grace & Rocky gen, 18k. A very fun exploration of Eridian languages, linguistics, and culture. I thought that the author did a really good job of illustrating the dynamic between Grace and Rocky. Also, their worldbuilding ideas about Eridian grammar were really interesting!

Definitely worth a look; I'm really glad I took a moment to read it - it was a really fun time.

The author's summary is an excerpt from the first chapter:
Petulantly, Rocky says, “Grace sound stupid. Like child.”

“I’m just talking how you talk, buddy.”

“Yes. This is because I talk like child, to speak to stupid human.”

“Well, you don’t have to do that,” I say without thinking.

“♪♫♩as this♪ when, underst♪♪♫d ♪me, question?” Rocky says.

“What?”

“Can♪♪♫will understa♫d it ♫think talks♫♪ as this♪ Eridian you♩♫, question?”
Tags:
May. 25th, 2026 12:13 am

God bless America

marycatelli: (Galahad)
[personal profile] marycatelli
God bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.
May. 24th, 2026 11:07 pm

transition

marycatelli: (Default)
[personal profile] marycatelli
transition, transition, transition. From one bit to the next.

This first draft is not smooth at all.
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