chase_acow

I got blocked on reading last year and didn't finish much. I didn't think I had a lot of guilty pleasures, but apparently trashy m/m romance and/or erotica books are one. I did manage to read a few of those I enjoyed but was too embarrassed to add them to my goodreads. And y'know . . . what's the point of reading if I can't track it to crow about finishing a reading challenge? My brain is broken.

Anyway, this year, I'm moving to StoryGraph where no one in real life can find me. I will be free to admit to anything I do actually read.

81 Things That Blew Our Minds in 2023

Cry Once A Week - I can manage this on my own, thank you very much.

I posted 18 fics to AO3 last year for a total of 149 so I missed a round number by 1, dang it.
2 MCU and 16 Top Gun - most of it porn. Several of them, I really enjoyed writing and rereading, so I consider it a successful year.

The google spyware known as my phone tells me that I walked 18 miles and drove 3,930 miles last year. That's probably not enough walking. I should probably beat that in 2023. New goal!

( Fandom navel gazing from last year. Fav book, movie, etc and too much Top Gun. Also grumbling about games. )

BOOKS - this is the year of the rereads!
( old books )

( new books )


MOVIES
( if movies are still a thing )

TV/MINISERIES
( i miss new seasons )

GAMES
( pls let something be good )

1. Your main fandom of the year?
Post Captain America: Civil War, which got me back into writing and attempting to rejoin fandom. I watched it in the theater and was disappointed by Tony’s storyline, and I didn’t really think about it much. I watched when it got thrown up on Netflix and was able to just enjoy the Team Cap members. I found people on Tumblr who were in love with Sam, and immediately went to gobble up all the Sam/Bucky AO3 could provide.

2. Your favorite film watched this year?
There were a lot of very adequate movies this year- Get Out, Moonlight, Wonder Woman, but the one that’s going to stick with me is CoCo. And I don’t know, maybe it’s emotional manipulation at its finest, but I loved it. The animation was beautiful, the soundtrack memorable, and the voice acting great. I loved the story and I thought Dante was adorable.

3. Your favorite book read this year?
I did actually read books this year. I got off to a good start, and then went back to stumbling endlessly through the internet. But I loved World War Z and it stuck with me. Human nature was definitely the star of the book, and it wasn’t all bad. There was hope and optimism, and regret and guilt. I really liked the style of writing since the individual vignettes were broken up for quick reading.

4. Your favorite TV show of the year?
Well, I’ve definitely been enjoying H5O, the new shows I watch are Designated Survivor and The Orville. I don’t know if despite my love of Kiefer Sutherland, I would have given Designated Survivor much attention if not for our current political environment. But I was desperate for a president who was a good man, who was moral and ethical, and desperate to do the right thing, the helpful thing, the kind thing. The Orville is a fun romp, it’s not a spoof, it's as good as Star Trek was for me. I like the cast, the adventures, I like the optimism and exploration. I love the nonhuman characters and how they illustrate what we consider the human condition.

5. Your favorite online fandom community of the year?
The Sam Wilson Big Bang was a lot of fun. It was my only online fandom I tried to engage in, and while I was hit or miss in their slack channel, I do hope they do another round next year.

6. Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
Ummm, IDK? A new pairing I read was from Maleficent - Maleficent/Diaval. And I’ve enjoyed that dynamic quite a bit.

7. Your biggest media disappointment of the year?
Easy - The Handmaid’s Tale. I read the book and loved it last spring, but I couldn’t get over the main actress, and I didn’t bother to finish the mini-series on HULU. It felt too drawn out, I never cared much about Luke. I really wanted to like it, and the production value and the look of it was great. Such a bummer for me.

8. Your boyfriend of the year?
Steve McGarrett. No question. He hits near every button I have. He sacrifices for what’s right, and for the people he loves, whether they reciprocate or not. He has an incredibly hard time verbalizing his feelings. There is violence there, carefully controlled. I like his sense of humor. Also, he’s very, very pretty, and his eyebrows do weird things.

9. Your girlfriend of the year?
I absolutely loved Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok. I loved her look, and I loved that she got to be the drunk, bad girl with a heart of gold trying to make up for her sins of the past. It totally works for a female character and I would sell off my hair for more.

10. Your biggest squee moment of the year?
Oh man, I have no idea.

11. The most missed of your old fandoms?
I went back to SGA about a month ago, prompted by all the McDanno I was reading. I miss watching an episode every week and then talking about it with others. I just don’t really have the time or patience to consume TV that way anymore. I had forgotten how much I loved John Shepard though. That weird, lanky, touch averse, pointy eared, fly-boy.

12. The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
I meant to try to write more out of my comfort zone, but I honestly can’t think of any particulars.

13. Your biggest fan anticipations for the New Year?
I am so excited for the new Tomb Raider. I loved the games so much!