#ravenpuffheadcanons

[elennare]

For the book asks: 5, 7, 9, 16 (any or all)? Also, thank you for playing :-)

5 - What’s a book you’ve enjoyed partly because of external factors (read it on holiday, gift from a friend etc)?

Hmm, tricky, I don't think I have one? I got a lot of books for Christmas (Swordheart and Paladin's Strength by T Kingfisher, Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik, Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett), but I am pretty sure I would have enjoyed them regardless! Shout out to my poor boyfriend's doomed attempt to get me Empire of Ivory in the same edition as my other Temeraire books - he tried very hard but it was just not doable... the one he got is pretty though!

7 - Is there a book that you intensely disliked, and thus need to get your complaints off your chest?

Ah, Babel. It should have been a book I loved - the gaps in translation are magic? Fantastic concept! - and yet, and yet. I have so many irritations with it - for all the pseudoacademic Talking About Colonialism and Imperialism, only the British have ever committed it apparently (particularly irked at how South America seemingly doesn't exist in this world other than footnotes on Potosi silver which do not mention, you know, Spain); all POC are good, all white people are evil; "no there are no gender barriers here feminism is nonsense" says the one single female professor to her "dressed as men because otherwise they couldn't even be here in the one place in Oxford that admits women" female students (and is then allowed to be a Good character, presumably as a reward for shutting down Lottie?)...

9 - Who is the most memorable character you’ve encountered on the page?

Oh, I think this has to be Murderbot! Poor bot just wants to watch its serials in peace and keeps getting interrupted by things like "its job", "humans caring about it", "it totally not caring about humans shut up it just has to save them because reasons" - such a good character, and a fantastic narrative voice.

16 - Have you ticked any books off of your “I swear I’ll read it one day” list? Was it worth the wait?

Hmm... I did re-read (or possibly read in full for the first time?) Robinson Crusoe and read Swiss Family Robinson this year. I had completely forgotten Crusoe's "woe is me for I am a wretched sinner" bits, and the long drawn out recovery of his estate in the end, to the point where I wonder if I'd only read an abridged version previously? As for Swiss Family Robinson, the island is the most hilariously geographically implausible setting I ever read 😂

Thank you for asking! These were fun 💚

[roamingbadger]

Happy birthday! 🥳 I couldn’t find a good happy birthday gif, so instead I hope you like this picture of some local spring flowers that just came into bloom. Have a great day!

I love it, thank you so much! This is one of the advantages of a spring birthday, haha! I appreciate it, my friend :D

[elennare]

For the fanfic writer emoji asks:

🎉 What leads you to consider a fic a success?

📚 Would you ever want to turn writing into a career (amendment: other than academic writing)?

🤯 What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)?

🎉: hmm, a comment I guess? (Or multiple, but I write a lot in small fandoms 😅) For exchange fic specifically, a happy comment from the recipient!

📚: no, I don't think so... I've occasionally considered trying to write some original work, but honestly I just enjoy fic writing as a hobby (also, I get enough rejections on grant proposals, I don't need more of it!)

🤯: long plotty work isn't exactly a genre, but it's definitely something I struggle with it - slice of life character study is more my forte.

Thanks for asking!

[isfjmel-phleg]

Happy Valentine's Day/Conversation Hearts Day! I read The Road to Roswell off your list and I loved it so much. Connie Willis wrote one of my all-time favourite novels, Doomsday Book, but I've had a mixed experience with some of her other books. I'm *so* glad this exchange prompted me to read Road to Roswell because I thought it was fantastic, and the best time I've had reading Willis in ages. It was so silly (which I mean as a compliment). I loved seeing the typical screwball Law of Escalating Shenanigans in a "first contact" setting. Plus, the underlying concept for the alien species was an interesting one that I hadn't seen elsewhere. January was very dark and wet and dreary here, so this was just the kind of book that I was in the mood for. I stayed up much too late on a work night to finish it and probably kept my neighbours awake by laughing too much! What is it that you liked about the book that made you put it on your list?

I had a pretty similar reaction to the book as yours! It's just such a genuinely fun read. Alien encounter/Western/road trip screwball comedy is a blend of genres that work together surprisingly beautifully. The characters are endearing, especially Indy (where is the fanart for him? I need this!), and the whole thing is just a hilarious romp. I read it at the start of January last year, and it was the most enjoyable novel I had engaged with in a while. As much as the setting of the book is summery, it just lends itself well to winter reading as an antidote to the gloom. So I put it on the list as something that I thought other people might be likely to enjoy, and I'm so glad you did!

Thank you so much for choosing something from my list!

[elennare]

20 for the fic writer’s asks (most frequently reread)?

Oh, tricky one... assuming it's from this year, possibly my Epistolary Fic exchange one? Or my Yuletide assignment? I re-read both a fair bit while writing 😅

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Thanks for asking!

[roamingbadger]

“Hmu if you want to talk about books on here” - well obviously this is an irresistible tag! What’s been your favourite new-to-you book that you’ve read this year? Not necessarily the one you thought was best - just the one you personally enjoyed the most? 📚

This is the loveliest question, thank you! I had to go back through my year so I could remember what I read earlier, haha. I decided my choice is The Cow Book by John Connell. It's the story of a calving season, closely observed by an Irish farmer/writer, and it takes the reader on a journey through the various stages of development on the farm. He makes so many keen observations, not just about farm animals and farm life, but also about the woods that he runs through, his neighbors, his family members, and so on. It's really a book about a son and his father trying to work together and understand one another.

I rarely read nonfiction, but this one really sucked me in. I couldn't put it down and ended up reading it in just a couple of days. There was something transporting about the amount of detail he used to describe farm life. And his clear love for his work comes through. Highly recommend!

Let's talk about books!

[roamingbadger]

Happy birthday!! 🥳🥳 (Also apparently we’re almost exactly the same age, because I turned 35 this March as well! Isn’t it nice to have a birthday just as spring is getting started? 🌷🌷)

Wow, thank you!! And likewise, a happy birthday to you, too! 😁 That's so cool! And I completely agree. Today, I went out for a walk, and flowers were everywhere 🌸 I hope we both have great years ahead 💜

[fictionadventurer]

4 for the book asks?

4. What book do you think it should be a requirement for you to be a consultant for if it was to be adapted into a play or movie or something?

The Blue Castle. I don't think there's anything in particular I'm afraid they'd mess up. I just want to be involved in the whole process and make sure that they get it right.