29 November 10

color fail & W1L 005: Write one leaf about watching cartoons.

I swear this looked better in my head. I think I was expecting the browns and blue to go together better.

Blazer: thrifted Ralph Lauren. Brown longsleeve: Apt 9 via Kohl's. Shorts: alloy + DIY button swap. Brown tights: totally from Costco. Oxfords: Payless.

I write stuff after the jump.

Audiobook Review – Garro: Oath of the Moment

I’m still not quite finished with Greyfriar, but I should definitely be able to have a review up for that book by next Friday. Fortunately, in the meantime I was lucky enough to have the chance to listen to another of the Black Library Warhammer 40,000 audio dramas - and I’m ready to give you my thoughts.

This story takes place during the Horus Heresy, a millennia before WH40K, where the status quo of that era is explored by revealing the history of how things came to reach that state. In this era, some of the cybernetically enhanced humans called Astartes begin to rebel against their God-Emperor – a Heresy never before witnessed. And as these battle lines are drawn, former brothers-in-arms find themselves on opposing sides.

Garro is one such soldier. His Legion betrayed the Emperor, but instead of following them Garro chose to uphold his Oath to his Emperor and reveal their treachery to him. But without his brothers he struggles to find a place for himself, until one of the Emperors trusted advisors gives him a new purpose. He will gather others like himself, and they will form a new Legion – this time one of Ghosts.

His first recruit is to be found on the homeworld of the Ultramarines, where they are under Siege. Garro must get past the lines of battle and find Rubio – another soldier who has been forced into a role where he must choose between oaths. Rubio has psychic powers, but he has been ordered not to use them – even though it means watching his brothers die. As the enemy draws closer, forcing the Ultramarines into a losing position – Rubio will find himself torn between his oath to defend his brothers at all costs, and his oath not to use his powers.

And when he ultimately betrays one oath for the other, he will become a Ghost too.

As always, the production value of this production are top notch; between the reading itself (where the author uses different voices for different characters, seemingly creating an entire cast – like voiceover work in an animated production) to the music and sound effects – I’ve said many times, The Black Library has ruined me to anything but their audiobooks. I only wish every publisher did it this way.

The story is a mixed bag. The best of these audio dramas have at least one memorable scene, and I can remember them clearly – in this case, I didn’t come away thinking the same about anything in Garro. The author also uses flashbacks to show how Garro came to be tasked with his mission, interspersing those scenes with ones showing his mission to find Rubio – but the problem with these flashbacks is within the context of the audio drama it’s hard to tell that’s what you’re now listening to. There were no audio cues (for instance: “Garro remembered when…”) to let the listener know this kind scene change had happened – and it happens a few times during the course of the book.

But at the same time, I fully enjoyed listening to Garro: Oath of the Moment as well. The story is engaging, with plenty of action and just enough story to make anyone feel at home in the Warhammer 40,000 setting. I am still a relative newcomer to this line of books, having only read one book so far and listened to a number of their audiobooks, and I have had no trouble following along and understanding what’s going on. My kids are young, but I plan on holding on to these until they get older – knowing how great it’ll be to put these on during a long car ride. If you’ve ever thought about giving an audiobook a try (and you can sample the unabridged audio drama of Horus Rising here) I highly recommend any of The Black Library’s offerings, including Garro: Oath of the Moment.

28 November 10

Jeff and I walked up to Companion Books so I could trade some things. We saw this precious/pathetic snowman on the way there; this is basically what happens to snow in Vancouver. I picked up this book of 365 aerial photos and a copy of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, the latter of which is pretty bleak and uncomfortable to read. Good though.

a very big fish

In which I watch Ching kick people's butts in the most elaborate stage combat I have ever seen performed by an amateur theater group.

Lace-trim Peter Pan collar blouse: French Toast Uniforms. Gray crew-neck sweatshirt: Target. Belt: from my prom dress, Ann Taylor. Frumpy skirt: hand-me-down. Enormous tacky pin: grandmother's. Blue tights: Forever21. Oxfords: Payless.

27 November 10

I finally reorganized my books and it didn't even take that long. I really thought I had more.
In the evening times, Steph came over and I made us dinner and we watched Six Feet Under, just like old times.

Things I Love: A Slice of October and All of November 2010

In the style of Alex from Everything Is Illuminated, I have a premium life.

Dear Universe, thank you for...

• emails from readers that make me a little bit weepy
  
• talking to my grandma on the phone in broken Cantonese
  
• Chiptole before project-ing with Ben and Stephanie
• the nice and efficient and useful person at the other end of the Financial Aid Office's phone line
  
• Lambda-Bang
• the smell of wet concrete, wet honeysuckle, and wet weed (not mine)
  
• cooking with my mother
• Jessie & tea & Jessie
  
• finishing massive readings
• finding out my cousin might be coming to live with us (!!!)
  
• the Cal Men's soccer team for being confoundingly good-looking, and "the guy in the lower-left corner"
  

• laughing so hard about Halloween costume ideas with Kim that I cried
• garlic mashed potatoes
• butternut squash soup
• Tangled, which, I'm sure I've made clear by now, I fell in love with
  
• emails from Isabella, the garden gnome aka coolest 13-year-old ever, for things like

  The mall is decorated for Christmas already. I was all look at the wreaths they are soo pretty and look at the lightsss. Once Christmas enters the picture, Thanksgiving is like that long lost relative that sends you socks that are three sizes too big every Christmas. It's alright but there is something more incredz on its way. But then again, I'd probably end up turning the socks into headpieces so no worries.

• recognizing that irrepressible SPARK! when reading something truly interesting
• fried rice with tons of ginger
• V for Vendetta, and Natalie Portman in it, and that her character's name was Evey

• 8pen, which takes a few hours to learn and still isn't faster than T9, but which is very good for texting while walking because you don't have to look at your screen
• Freaks and Geeks, especially for Sam and Lindsay Weir and Daniel Desario
• waking up right before my bus stop
• Yvan Rodic and his French accent
• meeting Anisa!
• Bobby, who, upon seeing me knitting my cable-knit scarf in lecture, asked me to knit him a dog
• dark lipstick, frumpy skirts, and the fuck-you nonchalance that comes with them
  
• amateur theater
• Tom Hardy in Stuart, A Life Backwards because oh my God. Where did Tom Hardy go? I only see Stuart. There isn't a trace of Eames in his speech, appearance, or movement. Fucking impressive. (Tom Hardy is butt-naked in this movie. Normally, I wouldn't object to such a glorious thing, but I absolutely guarantee you won't like it.) If you watch the first ten minutes and aren't ready to deem Tom Hardy chameleon-status, you're not invited to my birthday party:
  

• Darren Criss on Glee
• Daniel for anticipating my ro-sham-bo to see who would have to get up to turn in our homework; Daniel and my game where we count how many girls vs. guys he says hi to on the way back from class, and for the time he PR'd with 6 girls and 0 guys; Daniel for signing his email with "aagh,"; and Daniel, on our 9 AM lecture: "i'm not looking forward to going tomorrow. I might just wear glasses so I can fall asleep easier"
• forgetting my cell phone
• Natalie Portman in Closer, because while the movie left me feeling pointless, she's so effortless. Also, I like her butt, and I desperately want her pink wig.

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I because I cried and laughed out loud, and because I liked all their sickly makeup
• Stephanie's roommate Annie for squishing me to hide me while we clown-car'd to the movie theater
• Scott and Jay and Jon
  
• Eric, for calling me out for disappearing off the face of the earth
• really excellent Chinese food and strong black tea
• chocolate cake-in-a-mug
  
• Tom Hardy in Bronson, because while the movie left me feeling really unclean and kind of nauseous, he is, like... wow. Shit, man. He's good. He is versatile. It's like, excuse me, Mr. Bronson, you're blocking Tom Hardy BUT TOM HARDY IS MR. BRONSON!!! (Tom Hardy's also butt-fucking-naked in this movie too, but I seriously doubt you will like it.)

While writing this post, I looked up a Bronson trailer and had to watch it to make sure it was what I wanted. Unfortunately, I was also eating at the time, and now I want to throw all my food back up. It's good, but it's definitely not feel-good.

• a warm bed
• Mean Girls because I watched it for the first time (uh... I didn't have an adolescence, okay?) and it is actually way more smart-funny than I anticipated
  
• Stephanie
• my family
• knowing that there is a lock of hair in the back of my head dyed dark purple
• the way steam looks rising off a tea cup
• that looking at pictures of hot men is part of my blogging process
  

If you are attracted to men and can watch Freaks and Geeks without falling in love with Daniel Desario, we will never be friends.

Hugh Grant in suspenders. Just because.

Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans lamenting those Cool Ranch Doritos:

Mathias Lauridsen:

Here's Tom Hardy, being an incredible storyteller:

and HOLY GRAIL OF TOM HARDY PICTURES HOLY SHIT LOOK AT THAT SMOLDER LOOK AT THAT EYEBROW SCAR I WISH IT WERE APPROPRIATE TO SAY "DAT ASS" TO THIS PICTURE BUT IT'S OKAY THAT IT ISN'T BECAUSE LOOK AT THAT MOUTH:

Bring it on, December.