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May. 6th, 2026 12:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aurumcalendulaI so hope Jeannelle M. Ferreira's A Remarkable Rake will be published one day! It and Rose Lerner's The Girl in the Cellar are the historical romances I'm most looking forward to reading!
aurumcalendula
Kindle ebook cover question
May. 5th, 2026 11:27 pmaurumcalendulaAny idea how to get non-sideloaded ebook thumbnails to show up on Kindle Fire?
Some of the ones for books I bought on Amazon are suddenly showing blank placeholder images on collection previews (the larger thumbnails that appear when I open a collection folder seem fine). The thumbnails for my sideloaded fanfic show up fine so far.
ETA: the same thumbnails on my phone's kindle app look fine
Some of the ones for books I bought on Amazon are suddenly showing blank placeholder images on collection previews (the larger thumbnails that appear when I open a collection folder seem fine). The thumbnails for my sideloaded fanfic show up fine so far.
ETA: the same thumbnails on my phone's kindle app look fine
Happy Murderbot Day!
May. 5th, 2026 11:11 pmpetraMind you, I didn't remember till quarter past bedtime, so I am not done reading yet. But I will read!
One must imagine Sisyphus horny - Star Wars story, Obi-Wan in a time loop
May. 4th, 2026 11:12 pmpetraOne must imagine Sisyphus horny (13133 words) by Petra
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars - All Media Types
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker
Additional Tags: Time Travelling Obi-Wan Kenobi, Time Loop, Canon Divergence - Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Bad Decisions, What Would Quinlan Vos Do?, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Sex (Star Wars), Premature Ejaculation, Misdirection, Virgin Obi-Wan Kenobi
Summary:
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars - All Media Types
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker
Additional Tags: Time Travelling Obi-Wan Kenobi, Time Loop, Canon Divergence - Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Bad Decisions, What Would Quinlan Vos Do?, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Sex (Star Wars), Premature Ejaculation, Misdirection, Virgin Obi-Wan Kenobi
Summary:
The twentieth time through what has got to be the worst, and longest, day anyone has ever experienced without dying irrevocably, Obi-Wan wakes up on the Negotiator, checks the chrono to be positive of the date and swears a bloody streak, then comms Anakin. He has tried this day doing what he thought best, what he thought Yoda would think best, then Shaak, then Mace, then every other Jedi he's ever respected.
He has been putting off trying what he believes Quinlan's approach would be, or at least what Quinlan would counsel Obi-Wan to do, but the time has come.
And then I fell off my chair
May. 4th, 2026 08:56 pmpetraOkay, not literally, but the comic in this May the Fourth be with You tumblr post is absolutely killing me.
I'm saving the art because I would be so, so sad if I were to lose it, but please go let the artist know if it amuses you anything like as much as it tickles me.
( Image descriptions )
( Images saved on Dreamwidth, lest Tumblr cease to be )
And yes, I did have to use this icon for this post.
I'm saving the art because I would be so, so sad if I were to lose it, but please go let the artist know if it amuses you anything like as much as it tickles me.
( Image descriptions )
( Images saved on Dreamwidth, lest Tumblr cease to be )
And yes, I did have to use this icon for this post.
Indie Games in My Steam Library I Need to Play
May. 4th, 2026 06:09 pmi_like_the_stars posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
indie_gamesI think a lot of folks can relate, but I have... quite the game backlog LOL. I buy a couple things on sale and then the games tend to collect some dust. Well, hopefully not anymore! Here's some of the indie games I have in my library and why I decided to buy them over something else! Hopefully I'll be back soon with some commentary on game play and the such.
AER: Memories of Old || (Steam Page)
This is an open world exploration heavy game. This game has been in my Steam library for a while. Oops...! I got it because it's supposedly very similar to the game Sky: Children of the Light, which I thoroughly enjoyed back in high school. I was looking for a similar experience, and here we are. This game is very small (roughly over one GB).
Journey || (Steam Page)
Another game similar to Sky:COTL--it's made by the same exact people, actually! This is Sky's spiritual predecessor, so the choice to get it was obvious. This game is small (roughly over 3 GB).
Limbus Company || (Steam Page)
A quick internet search is telling me this game is indie--please correct me if I'm wrong! This game is literally free to play, only roughly over 9 GBs, and has been in my library since the very beginning of my account. It was recommended to me by a friend. I'd still like to give this game a try one day, I do enjoy turn-based combat quite a bit.
Z.A.T.O // I Love the World and Everything In It || (Steam Page)
This game was partially developed by a vocal synth producer, Ferry. Obviously I was going to check it out. This one hasn't been in my library for ages, but I still would really love to play it. The game is incredibly small, only just under 400 MB. It is also free.
Okay, that's all for now. I have plenty more indie games (and games in general) in my library, but I wanted to touch on ones I've yet to play, and especially ones that have been there for a while now. Have you played any of these games before? What are your thoughts? Do you know any games similar to these? I'd love to hear all your thoughts!
AER: Memories of Old || (Steam Page)
This is an open world exploration heavy game. This game has been in my Steam library for a while. Oops...! I got it because it's supposedly very similar to the game Sky: Children of the Light, which I thoroughly enjoyed back in high school. I was looking for a similar experience, and here we are. This game is very small (roughly over one GB).
Journey || (Steam Page)
Another game similar to Sky:COTL--it's made by the same exact people, actually! This is Sky's spiritual predecessor, so the choice to get it was obvious. This game is small (roughly over 3 GB).
Limbus Company || (Steam Page)
A quick internet search is telling me this game is indie--please correct me if I'm wrong! This game is literally free to play, only roughly over 9 GBs, and has been in my library since the very beginning of my account. It was recommended to me by a friend. I'd still like to give this game a try one day, I do enjoy turn-based combat quite a bit.
Z.A.T.O // I Love the World and Everything In It || (Steam Page)
This game was partially developed by a vocal synth producer, Ferry. Obviously I was going to check it out. This one hasn't been in my library for ages, but I still would really love to play it. The game is incredibly small, only just under 400 MB. It is also free.
Okay, that's all for now. I have plenty more indie games (and games in general) in my library, but I wanted to touch on ones I've yet to play, and especially ones that have been there for a while now. Have you played any of these games before? What are your thoughts? Do you know any games similar to these? I'd love to hear all your thoughts!
May the Fourth be with you, always!
May. 4th, 2026 02:14 pmpetraWishing everyone who enjoys Star Wars a very Lucastrian day!
I posted this:
But I cried the whole time (doesn't matter, had sex) (300 words) by Petra
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala & Sabé, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Quinlan Vos
Characters: Padmé Amidala, Sabé (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi, Quinlan Vos, Anakin Skywalker
Additional Tags: Drabble Sequence, First Time, Gossip, Loss of Virginity, Crying During Sex, But then I already tagged it Anakin Skywalker, Confessions, Masturbation, Consensual Infidelity
Summary:
...
And if the stars align and my betas have time, I will have another story soon, this one on the classic theme of Obi-Wan Time Travelling, but with a Groundhog Day twist and loss of virginity.
I posted this:
But I cried the whole time (doesn't matter, had sex) (300 words) by Petra
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala & Sabé, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Quinlan Vos
Characters: Padmé Amidala, Sabé (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi, Quinlan Vos, Anakin Skywalker
Additional Tags: Drabble Sequence, First Time, Gossip, Loss of Virginity, Crying During Sex, But then I already tagged it Anakin Skywalker, Confessions, Masturbation, Consensual Infidelity
Summary:
Padmé talks about Anakin with Sabé.
Obi-Wan talks about Anakin with Quinlan.
Anakin practices basic stress relief in his bunk.
...
And if the stars align and my betas have time, I will have another story soon, this one on the classic theme of Obi-Wan Time Travelling, but with a Groundhog Day twist and loss of virginity.
fanvid recs - Killjoys
May. 4th, 2026 08:05 amaurumcalendulaMore recs! This time for Killjoys:
Been Better bylithiumdoll (2015)
Level Up byscribe (2018)
Home byeruthros (2020)
Queens bythingswithwings (2020)
Down & Dirty bydirty_diana (2023)
Been Better by
lithiumdoll (2015) Level Up by
scribe (2018) Home by
eruthros (2020) Queens by
thingswithwings (2020) Down & Dirty by
dirty_diana (2023)Look. LOOK.
May. 4th, 2026 11:12 amrydra_wongPeople need to read Cameron Reed's What We Are Seeking because I need to have a discussion group, okay? Also it's extremely good.
I've just started listening to the Wizards vs. Lesbians ep on it, and am very pleased that they independently ping on Le Guin and Delany as reference points, and also accurately summarize its timeslip quality by saying it's "from the '70s if the '70s were 2026."
Also they clearly love John Maraintha, which is very important.
I tried to describe the book tovass by saying that it's like picking up a beautiful object -- I'm visualizing some sort of carved stone sculpture or ceramic item -- and finding out that its centre of gravity is wildly different (both in weight and location) from what your hands instinctively anticipated from its appearance.
And it's not a bait-and-switch! The book's initial premise is that it's about a human colony on an alien planet discovering a potentially-sapient species and urgently needing to find out if they are sapient, establish communication (if possible), and manage this First Contact correctly because there are dire consequences if they fuck it up (yes, a retro classic*).
And the book is in fact very much about that, and it drives many of the events that ensue. It is not at any point not about that, and its themes of communication, colonialism, and adaptation to an alien world are, well ... everything the book is about.
It has some casually-spectacular world-building, and a sequence involving a dangerous journey and struggle for survival in an alien landscape which stands up next to any in the canon (including an action sequence which genuinely made me make a noise of startlement and alarm OUT LOUD while reading).
And nonetheless, the scene which I would consider the emotional climax of the book, its great pivot point, is -- well, I refuse to describe it because of spoilers, but it's fair to say that it's not anything you'd ever expect from the above descriptions. It's so bold, in the quietest way.
{*I enjoy the book immediately explaining that alien life on this planet has a weird reproductive cycle, because OBVIOUSLY IT HAS A WEIRD REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE, we've read sf before; that is not being saved to be the Big Reveal.}
ETA: Free sample! Read the first two chapters here!
https://civilianreader.com/2026/03/17/excerpt-what-we-are-seeking-by-cameron-reed-tor-books/
I've just started listening to the Wizards vs. Lesbians ep on it, and am very pleased that they independently ping on Le Guin and Delany as reference points, and also accurately summarize its timeslip quality by saying it's "from the '70s if the '70s were 2026."
Also they clearly love John Maraintha, which is very important.
I tried to describe the book to
vass by saying that it's like picking up a beautiful object -- I'm visualizing some sort of carved stone sculpture or ceramic item -- and finding out that its centre of gravity is wildly different (both in weight and location) from what your hands instinctively anticipated from its appearance.And it's not a bait-and-switch! The book's initial premise is that it's about a human colony on an alien planet discovering a potentially-sapient species and urgently needing to find out if they are sapient, establish communication (if possible), and manage this First Contact correctly because there are dire consequences if they fuck it up (yes, a retro classic*).
And the book is in fact very much about that, and it drives many of the events that ensue. It is not at any point not about that, and its themes of communication, colonialism, and adaptation to an alien world are, well ... everything the book is about.
It has some casually-spectacular world-building, and a sequence involving a dangerous journey and struggle for survival in an alien landscape which stands up next to any in the canon (including an action sequence which genuinely made me make a noise of startlement and alarm OUT LOUD while reading).
And nonetheless, the scene which I would consider the emotional climax of the book, its great pivot point, is -- well, I refuse to describe it because of spoilers, but it's fair to say that it's not anything you'd ever expect from the above descriptions. It's so bold, in the quietest way.
{*I enjoy the book immediately explaining that alien life on this planet has a weird reproductive cycle, because OBVIOUSLY IT HAS A WEIRD REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE, we've read sf before; that is not being saved to be the Big Reveal.}
ETA: Free sample! Read the first two chapters here!
https://civilianreader.com/2026/03/17/excerpt-what-we-are-seeking-by-cameron-reed-tor-books/
Irises!
May. 1st, 2026 10:52 pmaurumcalendulaThe irises in one flower bed have decided to bloom a full month early!
I love the color these ones are (the photo doesn't quite capture how they look - the top petals are an intense almost electric purple in person - similar to HEX #8400E0) and how fragrant they are!
I love the color these ones are (the photo doesn't quite capture how they look - the top petals are an intense almost electric purple in person - similar to HEX #8400E0) and how fragrant they are!
Tortall art
May. 1st, 2026 03:40 pmaurumcalendulaThe illustrator for the late 90s/early 2000s US Random House covers for Tamora Pierce's Tortall quartets has prints available for most* of her covers!
*(The original painting First Test's cover was sold years ago and she hasn't had luck tracking it down to scan, but she might try to reproduce it at some point)
*(The original painting First Test's cover was sold years ago and she hasn't had luck tracking it down to scan, but she might try to reproduce it at some point)
Some books
May. 1st, 2026 01:20 pmaurumcalendulaBallad of Sword and Wine, vol. 7 by Tang Jiu Qing (translated by XiA, Jia, and amixy):
( Read more... )
I've also just started Desmond by Ulysses Grant Dietz and I'm liking it so far.
( Read more... )
I've also just started Desmond by Ulysses Grant Dietz and I'm liking it so far.
fanvid recs - Wiseguy
Apr. 28th, 2026 09:58 amaurumcalendulaSince I've recently fallen into Wiseguy, I figured I'd start there with my fanvid recs:
Nights in White Satin by Lynn C and Tashery S (1993)
(You Don't Have To) Play Me Backwards by Gayle F &morgandawn (1997)
Only the Good Die Young bykillabeez & Merricat (2001)
Take Me Out bybarkley & destina (2006)
(inspired bycolls' post in vid_bingo, I'm going to make an effort to post vid-related stuff over the next few weeks)
Nights in White Satin by Lynn C and Tashery S (1993)
(You Don't Have To) Play Me Backwards by Gayle F &
morgandawn (1997) Only the Good Die Young by
killabeez & Merricat (2001) Take Me Out by
barkley & destina (2006)(inspired by
colls' post in vid_bingo, I'm going to make an effort to post vid-related stuff over the next few weeks)more NCIS: Hawai'i
Apr. 28th, 2026 08:23 amaurumcalendulaI'm kinda annoyed that NCIS: Hawai'i only has season 1 on Blu-Ray (season 2 and 3 are only available on DVD for some reason).
I'm almost halfway through season three as of the other day. Unfortunately, I'm not invested in Sam's subplot and I'm annoyed that a bunch of recurring characters aren't going to get any screentime this season, going by imdb (Jane's daughter Julie, Jane's ex-husband Daniel, Jane's love interest Joe, Kai's father Wally, and Kai's friend Hina) and that Jane's son Alex only gets one scene this season.
I have a vague idea for a couple vids, but haven't gotten very far in brainstorming songs for them yet. I might end up making icons for it at some point too.
I'm almost halfway through season three as of the other day. Unfortunately, I'm not invested in Sam's subplot and I'm annoyed that a bunch of recurring characters aren't going to get any screentime this season, going by imdb (Jane's daughter Julie, Jane's ex-husband Daniel, Jane's love interest Joe, Kai's father Wally, and Kai's friend Hina) and that Jane's son Alex only gets one scene this season.
I have a vague idea for a couple vids, but haven't gotten very far in brainstorming songs for them yet. I might end up making icons for it at some point too.
Victory!
Apr. 27th, 2026 06:47 pmaurumcalendulaThe fifth StudioWorks DVD set was the charm! (Considering this one was mailed in a poly mailer with no padding, I'm a bit surprised it arrived in pretty decent shape, let alone with a disc three that plays fine.)