Links of Great Interest 7/3/09

The OTHER Maria

Bored at work? Check out these links of great interest!

Want to know more about the ongoing conversation about triggers in fanfic? Here is a summary of some of the prior conversations about this issue. Metafandom remains a great resource for further conversations of this ilk. This is a follow-up to last week’s posting, where SBQR pointed out the ablist stance Zvi was taking.

The Transformers race-fail continues. One of the actors comments here that the directors directed him problematically.

In … READ MORE


Posted in Mini-Reviews

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July 3, 2009   2 Comments

Sookie Stackhouse series–Charlaine Harris

Gategrrl

Books 1-3: Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, and Club Dead.

Harris certainly knows how to write a fun female protagonist. Sookie Stackhouse is waitress. She’s unschooled, doesn’t have a typical education, but has a lot of people smarts. Why? Sookie is a rare human telepath in a world filled with vampires who’ve come out of the coffin, were-people (who have not) and other supernatural creatures/goddesses, etc.

It’s a world that’s cock-eyed, but what saves it is Sookie’s point of view, … READ MORE


Posted in Books
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July 2, 2009   3 Comments

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

The OTHER Maria

This was a trainwreck of a  movie. Basically, it’s a bit after the end of the first Transformers. Sam is now getting ready for college. His girlfriend Mikaela is staying home, and they’re going to be long distance. Sam finds a chunk of the All Spark in his stuff and starts having visions. He’s also tempted by a sexy, agressive co-ed who is a robot in disguise.* I’m not exactly sure what happens next — it involves robots, explosions, and … READ MORE


Posted in Movies, Real Life

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July 1, 2009   5 Comments

The Strain — Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

The OTHER Maria

Whatever you do, DON’T read this while on a layover at JFK. del Toro and Hogan successfully point out the intrinsic creepiness of airports, planes, and subway tunnels in the beginning of their Strain trilogy. The prose is creepy and at times unsettlingly funny, and the images described linger on in your mind’s eye in a way that is eep!-worthy when actually on a plane.

This story has two beginnings — for Abraham Setrakian, a Holocaust survivor, this is very much … READ MORE


Posted in Books, Horror/Thrillers, Mini-Reviews, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

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July 1, 2009   5 Comments

It’s My Ovaries, Stupid! — Elizabeth Lee Vliet

The OTHER Maria

Vliet’s introduction to the various issues women face when their hormones are out of whack is actually pretty interesting and very accessible. Also, bonus points for not focusing on fertility, which is something books of this type often do.

I found it INCREDIBLY accessible. Vliet’s indictment of a medical industry that often ignores the needs of female patients is both passionate and terse. She offers her patient anecdotes and data analysis in a way that suggests she respects her audience’s intelligence … READ MORE


Posted in Books, Real Life

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June 26, 2009   No Comments