selenak: (Borgias by Andrivete)
selenak ([personal profile] selenak) wrote2025-07-21 12:20 pm

Jo Graham: The Blood of the Bull (Book Review)

The third volume in Jo Graham's series about Giulia Farnese is compelling Renaissance romp, full of fascinating personalities, political intrigue and emotional crisis. (You can read my review of the first Giulia novel here, and of the second here.) Incidentally, it's eerie how these novels fit with contemporary events. The last one which dealt with the papal elections, and one key point it makes was no, it does matter which candidate succeeds, sneering that one is like the other gets you into the abyss fast, and now this one features the French Invasion of Italy. (No need to name the many wars and invasions currently happening.) It coincides with the first big personal crisis between our heroine and her beloved, Rodrigo Borgia aka Pope Alexander VI., which Graham uses to expertly tie the personal and political story together.

Mild spoilers ensue )
alethia: (GK Doc)
Alethia ([personal profile] alethia) wrote2025-07-20 01:38 pm
Entry tags:

The Pitt Fic: The Wonder Year (Abbot/Robby, NC-17)

The Wonder Year (5286 words) by Alethia
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Pitt (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jack Abbot/Michael "Robby" Robinavitch
Characters: Jack Abbot (The Pitt), Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Dana Evans, Parker Ellis
Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 01, Idiots in Love, Photographs, Pining, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Gossip, First Kiss, First Time, Porn, everyone gets a look at intern robby, and are super chill about it, abbot especially
Summary:

Jack looked from the intern picture to Robby again, rubbing a tired hand over his eyes. "Jesus, this is like a recipe." He gestured between the picture and Robby, young and old. "It's like twink plus seasoning equals daddy. Fuck," he said, a kind of helpless note to it. Then he walked out, like he hadn't just dropped a bomb on Robby's head.

What did that mean?

selenak: (Discovery)
selenak ([personal profile] selenak) wrote2025-07-20 07:16 pm
selenak: (Default)
selenak ([personal profile] selenak) wrote2025-07-19 06:02 pm

Foundation: 3.02

I had an extremely busy week for rl reasons, but am now up to date with the most visually gorgeous sci fi show currently on tv. (The possible competitions being on hiatus. Or cancelled, grr, argh.)

Spoilers want more time )
tielan: SGA: Teyla and Elizabeth sitting on the bed (SGA - teyla/liz)
tielan ([personal profile] tielan) wrote2025-07-14 10:44 am
Entry tags:

hockey

Played two games on Sunday. Think I played 2 games a couple of rounds ago, too.

On the whole, the body is hurting quite a bit more than it was last time. But I've been having a few aches and pains.

Good feeling: I scored a goal - a beautiful pass from the wing straight into the middle of the circle, and I (and a defender whose stick clashed with mine) reangled it into the goal behind the keeper.

Bad feeling: all the twingy, twitchy hip and leg aches for which I am going to see a physio this morning.

Apparently, Team 1 is down to 13 players (there's 11 on the field) and they were going to move some of T2 up (myself and my friend J, who came and played for the club last year because I was here and her team was being relegated to a competition in the southwest; she still plays with them for the masters/veterans competition) but we've got about three injuries ongoing on the team - including one fractured foot and one pregnancy, who is taking it fairly easy.

Yesterday, we were missing one of our 'young runners', and the other had period cramps really bad. Both inners (women about my age, so perimenopausal) were nursing injuries, and our pregnancy is on the wing. Doing well, but...yeah. She probably won't be running much longer...

Our forward line is simply not able to get the ball up there with any kind of strength, so we're losing 3-0, but we're doing a really good job at playing. I know that doesn't sound like we are with 3-0 losses, but truly told, we're playing amazing. Passing, calling, talking, we just can't get it into the circle and into the goal.

Anyway, we're improving and we're having fun. Even the not-so-nice team was okay to play yesterday.

Back to Team 1, they're probably going to try to get myself and J qualified for the team in the finals series. Which...eek. That means at least another 2 weekends with 2 games for me. Which...I can maybe do if I keep my fitness up? Oof.

But I may reach my holidays and be like "here is a pool and a nice hotel in Sinagapore and I AIN'T MOVING A MUSCLE"...
tielan: (Default)
tielan ([personal profile] tielan) wrote2025-07-14 08:57 am
Entry tags:

travel and family

I love my dad but...

he's a cheapskate )

Otherwise, am making plans for places to stay in London, Bath, Porto, and Rotterdam, and finding things to do in those places, too.

Anyone done day tours in Porto, Portugal?
selenak: (Demerzel and Terminus)
selenak ([personal profile] selenak) wrote2025-07-13 11:26 am

Foundation 3.01

In which we make another time jump, the Foundation is now in its monarchical phase, while Empire seems to approach its version of the Third Century Crisis. Also: Demerzel is still my favourite.

Spoilers are explaining the Three Laws of Robotics and the Zeroth Law )
alethia: (GK Doc)
Alethia ([personal profile] alethia) wrote2025-07-12 09:57 pm
Entry tags:

The Pitt Fic: State of Play (Abbot/Robby, NC-17)

State of Play (5241 words) by Alethia
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The Pitt (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Jack Abbot/Michael "Robby" Robinavitch
Characters: Jack Abbot (The Pitt), Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Jake (The Pitt)
Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 01, Established Relationship, Advice, Cross-Generational Friendship, Porn, Barebacking, Period-Typical Homophobia, let's talk about sex baby, gen z meets gen x
Summary:

Jack was poised for a beautiful three-pointer when Jake spoke, "So, hey, what's it feel like to get fucked?"

The surprise of it scattered his focus for an instant, but figuring that was what Jake wanted, Jack let muscle memory pull him through, releasing the basketball—and getting nothing but net, fuck yeah.

Then he looked over at Jake and tipped his head, nonchalant. "Vulnerable."