Sidetracks - May 4, 2013

[helloladies]

Sidetracks is a collaborative project featuring various essays, videos, reviews, or other Internet content that we want to share with each other. All past and current links for the Sidetracks project can be found in our Sidetracks tag.

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➝ The last week for me has been filled with a mountain of re-prioritizing work for Volunteers & Recruiting to try to get caught up, trying to write my fic for DOINK! in fits and starts (when did writing Final Fantasy fic get so hard?!), and juggling a $dayjob situation which includes management going "you can totally run an area with only four people! NO PROBLEM." I'm also behind on a review due a week ago, I have five overdue library books, and I'm behind on Hugo reading (seriously, someone WOULD tell me if Throne of the Crescent Moon is a parody, right? RIGHT?). I'm sort of out of get-up-and-go and the ability for deep thought. Clearly that means it's time to spam Sidetracks with tumblr links.

➝ Okay, so this isn't a tumblr link, but I get to actually go to a John Scalzi author event.. This is epic. It's actually happening like a real thing that happens to people who live in cities with literary culture (I do not; I am driving an hour and a half there and back again to see him because if I miss him like I missed Sarah Dessen I will PUNCH MY OWN SELF IN THE FACE). I may be a little manic in the days preceding and following this event. Renay, you cannot take all your copies of the Old Man's War series to be signed. Chill out. It'll be okay.

➝ Forgetting how to cat.

➝ Free Life Advice! — Love, Spiders. (ANA, there are no pictures of spiders. >.>)

➝ I'm so excited for Tyler Posey's face when the third season of Teen Wolf starts. He was one of my favorite parts of S2, which was very questionable. >.>

➝ Is there someone NOT excited for the return of Whose Life Is It, Anyway?

➝ In closing, BUCKET OF KITTENS

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➝ Congratulations to Meike Ziervogel as her first novel ‘Magda’ has just been published.Meike was kind enough to take me on as a temporary intern at her publishing house, Peirene Press, last year and I wish her all the success in the world.

➝ I feel like Meike would enjoy this fascinating interview with Paula Bomer who wrote a book called 'Nine Months'. Bomer's book is about a woman who leaves her family for a few months after her third child is born and the Peirene list of books has its share of controversial, deeply interesting mother figures. Perhaps strangely, as a lady who doesn't want kids, I find myself fascinated with stories about women who choose to be mothers and who depart from that 'saintly' ideal they're supposed to adhere to, so I think I will want to dig into 'Nine Months' at some point this year.

➝ Clare explains why we should all be watching ‘Elementary’. The gifs and Tumblr commentary make me really want to try this program out. I mean sure I have to watch the ten box sets I just bought and the last five episodes of ‘Nashville’ and catch up on ‘Dr Who’, by which time it’ll probably be time for ‘Sherlock’ to start again…oh right and then there’s that flash drive with ‘Game of Thrones’ S1 waiting on it - um…

➝ Ana I know you’re going to start working with younger readers at the library and I thought you might find Angie’s plan to post themed lists of middle grade fiction useful.

➝ Zetta Elliot put up a personal post about depression and anxiety called 'be happy?' where she linked to Neesha Meminger's response to some misguided advice for people with depression. Meminger explains once again that depression is hard and can't be countered by some 'miracle behaviour change that will flip that switch for you'. Then she presents her personal tips for ways to avoid making yourself feel even worse when you're dealing with depression.

➝ Justine Larbalestier talks about 'Ten Years of Writing YA Novels For A Living'. I found her insights into how the YA market has changed especially interesting because I’m nosy about the business side of writing.

➝ The RSC is going to be presenting an interactive, multi-media version of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in June. Sadly they’re partnering with Google+ and if they only post updates there I won’t be able to follow along, but if you like Google+ it looks like there will be a fun time to be had.

Comments

[theliteraryomnivore.wordpress.com]

Larbalestier's post is really fascinating, especially for aspiring salaried editor me. Thanks for the link—and for linking my Elementary post. It is so worth it: last night, they broke into a mortuary and performed an illegal autopsy, bickering all the while. They are the best.

[bookgazing]

I love her blog all the time, but especially her thoughts about the industry. Reminds me I've got to read more of her books.

don't watch the show, but saw a gifset

[renay]

WE ARE NOT HAVING A MOMENT.

[thebaconfat]

Renay! I am interested in your thoughts on S2 of Teen Wolf! Are they posted somewhere?

[renay]

I haven't written about it yet, actually. I would like to rewatch it, though, and try to sum up my thoughts. I love a lot of what Teen Wolf does, but where S1 was sometimes campy, sometimes dramatic fun, S2 came out of the gate with multiple problematic bits dangling everywhere. I hope I have time for a marathon this month, so I can write something up before the show premieres.

[thebaconfat]

Sweet! I'll keep an eye out for that.

[myfriendamy]

tbh I think Elementary is the kind of show you can watch in pieces, like you don't need to watch it all at once? It's very easy to watch in parts.

edited to clarify....

what I mean is it might be hard to watch episode after episode lol. Like I think it's a good show, but it's still very much a procedural and not as serialized as I personally wish it was.

[bookgazing]

I have the first three episodes so maybe I can just start there and watch the rest later?

[bookgazing]

The Scalzi event is soon! I hope you have a great time :) (Edited for all the typos)

[renay]

Jodie, I am SO EXCITED. ;____;