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20 Questions Meme
I was tagged for this by
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bronze_ribbons the other week and it sounded like fun, but I wanted to finish the latest chapter of Unmasked first. I finally posted Part 15 a few days ago, and I figured I could take a little time out to play around, so here goes...1. What songs are you currently addicted to?
"Hey, Soul Sister" by Train--an insidiously catchy little tune that keeps popping up on TV and the radio, and I can't get it out of my head. Fortunately, I like Train, and their older hit "Drops of Jupiter" is one of my favorite songs.
"Family Tree" by Megadeth--a song on one of my older iPod playlists that I started listening to again recently. Oddly catchy--in a much darker way than the Train song--for a song about child abuse by a heavy metal band. This song and the album it's from are probably my favorite Megadeath releases--still kick-ass heavy, but more melodic than their previous releases.
"Second Chance" by Shinedown. I started listening to this band because they have a lot of angsty songs that are well-suited to my Snupin soundtrack for the long-suffering plot bunny that has yet to be written. However, I took a liking to this song because the lyrics remind me of my fanon Onozuka and his problems with his family:
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realise
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
Although it doesn't fit exactly because my Onozuka is angry at his parents, to a certain extent.
2. What are you currently reading?
Ryoma: Life of a Renaissance Samurai by Romulus Hillsborough, a biography of Sakamoto Ryoma, a key figure in the events that led to the Meiji Restoration, when the Shogunate was overthrown and power was restored to the emperor. I started getting interested in Ryoma when he appeared as a character in TV dramas like Shinsengumi, Atsuhime, and Jin, and also in manga like Peacemaker Kurogane. He is also the main character in the current NHK taiga drama Ryomaden, which motivated me to borrow this book from the library. It's very interesting and moves at a good pace, unlike many other history books I've read that tend to be dry and boring. This is partly because it's written in a novel-like style, with a lot of dialogue between Ryoma and the people he interacts with, and sometimes their inner thoughts--which does make me wonder how much the author speculated and perhaps embellished the facts. Still, it's an entertaining and informative read--not just about Ryoma, but about this period of Japanese history, and the class distinctions and clan rivalries that were involved in the movement to overthrow the Shogunate. (Fuyu no Semi in the Haru universe takes place during this period of time, btw. Iwaki's character's family were vassals of the Shogun, and Katou's character belonged to the Choshu clan, which were proponents of the anti-alienist movement to expel the foreigners and restore power to the emperor.)
And I've also been re-reading Elizabeth Moon's Deed of Paksennarion trilogy, a fantasy series about a young woman who starts off as a humble sheepfarmer's daughter and becomes a mercenary, and eventually a paladin. Moon recently came out with a new book in the series (Oath of Fealty), but my memory of previous events was a bit fuzzy since it's been years since I read the original trilogy, so I decided to go ahead and read the whole thing over again. Moon's universe isn't particularly original--it's a Tolkien-esque world where humans exist alongside dwarves, elves, and orcs, but the writing is solid and entertaining, and the characterization is good. Plus, I have a soft spot for this series, since I was still into Dungeons and Dragons when I first read it, and it's practically tailor-made for a D&D audience. It still holds up pretty well as I'm reading it about 20 years after it was originally published.
3. What was the last movie you saw?
The last movie I actually saw in a theater was probably Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I find that I'm getting cranky as I get older, and I get annoyed with people talking in the theater--sometimes to each other, and sometimes yakking on their cell phones--and I always seem to end up sitting in front of a kid who kicks the back of my seat during the movie. So mostly I end up watching dvds, and the last dvd I watched was It Might Get Loud, the documentary about guitarists Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White, where they talk about music and their lives, and jam together on the guitar. It's probably boring to someone who isn't interested in music, but to me, who dabbles a bit in the guitar and worshiped Jimmy Page as a kid, it was fascinating. And it's cute to see The Edge, a famous musician in his own right, get a little starstruck by the fact that he's sitting in the same room with Page, watching him play "Stairway to Heaven."
4. What makes you the angriest/most frustrated right now?
I have family and friends who have been laid off, or whose jobs are uncertain right now due to the bad economy, and it's pretty frustrating to see them struggle, knowing there's not much I can do to help but offer a sympathetic ear.
5. Favorite book and why?
Wow, it's really hard to pick a single favorite book! I'm going to fudge a bit and say that Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series, particularly the original trilogy, is my favorite series. Critics accused her of ripping off Anne McCaffrey's concept of telepathic dragons and riders, since her series has intelligent white horses who bond telepathically with their Herald riders, but hey, I've loved horses since I was a little girl, so the idea appealed to me. She was also criticized in her first books for having too much description and characterization and not enough action, but that also appealed to me--not that I dislike action, but characterization is what really gets me hooked on a story. I don't know if I was influenced by Lackey, but my own writing style leans towards description/characterization over action as well. Looking back with a more critical eye, some of the elements are perhaps a bit cliched, and she does tend to have errors of continuity in some of the later books, but the characters are engaging and likable, and there's something about her writing that's like comfort food--her books may not win any literary prizes, but I can read the Herald books over and over again, and have a warm, fuzzy, contented feeling when I'm done. The heroine of the first trilogy is Talia--a farmgirl in a conservative community who's about to be forced into an arranged marriage, but instead of learning proper wifely skills, she'd rather read books and dream about being a Herald. And lo and behold, a Companion (the telepathic horse) shows up to Choose her as his Herald--and he's not just any Companion, but the king stallion of the herd, which makes Talia the Queen's Own, the most important Herald of them all, an adviser and confidant to the Queen herself.
I think I was in my teens when I first started reading the series, and what kid doesn't feel misunderstood at times, and yearn to be someone special? And being a shy bookworm like Talia probably helped me to identify with her. Maybe if I'd been older when I first discovered the series, it wouldn't have appealed to me on such a deep level. See also my answer for #8 on why Lackey holds a special place in my heart.
6. What are your current addictions?
The no-sugar-added mocha latte at Coffee, Bean, and Tea Leaf. I have to watch my sugar intake for health reasons, and this satisfies both my chocolate and caffeine cravings. It doesn't have a weird aftertaste like some other sugar-free drinks, and I honestly wouldn't have guessed it was sugarless if I hadn't been told in advance.
On the more sinful side, there's a bakery near my workplace that makes awesome chocolate-filled croissants--made with dark chocolate (my favorite), rather than milk chocolate. So sinfully delicious, although I can't overindulge in them too much!
7. What is your favorite t-shirt?
Probably this Megatokyo "Zilla Stomp" t-shirt. How can you not love a dancing Godzilla? ^_^ It's a clearance item, so get it while you still can!
8. Something about you that most people don't know? Extra points if it is interesting.
I don't know how interesting this is, but I met Mercedes Lackey at a book signing once, earlier in her career when she was still being published only in paperback and not yet hardcover. There were only a handful of fans there, but she seemed genuinely happy to meet us, and had a leisurely chat with us about her books, and projects she was currently working on. I owned all her books to date, but had only brought a couple of them with me--I wasn't sure if there was going to be a signing limit, and I half-jokingly told her that I didn't want to give her writer's cramp. She was very kind and gracious, and signed some book plates for me to take home and paste in my other books. It was a small gesture, but I was really touched by it.
Sometimes I think I'd be afraid to meet my heroes/heroines in case they turn out to be jerks and I won't be able to enjoy their books/music/movies anymore. I used to be a fan of Orson Scott Card's books, but I have trouble enjoying them now that I know about his anti-gay views. Lackey, on the other hand, couldn't have been more friendly and gracious, and rather than being disappointed by the small turnout, gave the impression that she was just happy to meet the fans who loved her books, and that counts a lot with me. A book should be able to stand on its own, of course, but knowing that Lackey is a nice person probably helped make me a loyal fan.
9. What was the last thing you bought?
A diet Coke, to be strictly literal. The last non-food or drink item was vol. 6 of the Silver Diamond manga, and a yaoi manga called Isle of Forbidden Love, mostly because the summary says that it's set in the Edo period, so I'm hoping for some hot guys in kimono. ^_^
10. Do you have more friends online or off?
Online. I have a small circle of close RL friends, but I'm a bit shy, and somehow it's easier to meet new people online. Plus my RL friends don't share my fandom interests--I have friends who like Harry Potter and manga and anime well enough, but none who are into slash or yaoi or fanfic.
11. Something that made you laugh today?
I was watching a taped episode of In Plain Sight, a TV drama about a female US marshal, and there was a scene where the heroine, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the stomach, has tracked down and is chasing the gang member who shot her, and he's suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. So they're both hobbling along, not very fast, and the heroine's partner cracks a joke about this being a scene from "Geriatric Marshals." It did look pretty silly. ^_^
12. Favorite non-alcoholic beverage?
A coke Icee. (A slushy carbonated drink if you're not familiar with it.) See also #6.
13. What was the last thing you ate?
Grilled salmon and rice.
14. What are your current favorite pairings?
My main OTPs are Kikuchi/Onozuka in Harudaki, Snape/Lupin in HP, and Leon/D in Petshop of Horrors. These are the guys that I have difficulty seeing paired with anyone else. (Although I have gained a fondness for Snape/Percy.) K/O is the main pairing I'm working on right now, but I do want to get back to my Snupin and PSOH stories someday.
15. Favorite websites?
I spend a lot of time on Livejournal and InsaneJournal, of course. Other than that, MangaBlog is the probably the site that I spend the most time on. I also have several webcomics that I follow regularly including Megatokyo (see #7), nemu*nemu, PVP, Applegeeks, Johnny Wander (which is cowritten by one of the Applegeeks guys), and Dork Tower. And there's a new webcomic that I got turned onto by Applegeeks called Yellow Peril, which is drawn by an Asian American artist, featuring Asian American characters, which is cool to me as an Asian American, and it's pretty damn funny, too.
16. What are you plans for tomorrow?
To try and catch up on some rest--it's a long weekend (Memorial Day in the US), and I'm worn out from work and dealing with some RL stuff at home. And hopefully to catch up on some videos and work on the next "Unmasked" chapter.
17. What kind of music is contained on your hard drive?
Oh my gosh, everything from the Bay City Rollers (believe it or not) to the aforementioned Train, Megadeth, and Shinedown to violinist Vanessa Mae to J-Pop and anime sountracks. Mostly I listen to rock, leaning towards the heavier stuff, but I like all kinds of music (except for country and rap, with a few exceptions).
18. Favorite color?
Purple.
19. Pet peeve?
People who yak on cell phones in movie theaters and libraries.
20. Guilty pleasure?
Anything rich and chocolatey, including the croissants mentioned in #6. There's another bakery that does a to-die-for flourless chocolate cake that's rich and dense and bittersweet...mmm! Also a mocha Frappuccino or Ice Blended (the with-sugar version) topped with whipped cream and a swirl of chocolate syrup.
Okay, now I'm craving chocolate! >_<
I'm not tagging anyone, but if you feel like doing the meme, go for it!
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Also, I share your sentiments about Lackey - she's a much better writer than McC. I dunno about her ripping things off, but I don't think that telepatic horses are... original enough to be a rip off of anybody else's plot. Apart from that, both ladies are batshit crazy when it comes to fanfiction... *shrugs*
As for films? That is why I never go to see them in the cinema. Really, people have no sense of behaving properly...
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Re Lackey: yeah, I don't know of any fantasy novels that are completely original. There are common tropes and themes, and I think it's how the author handles them and puts their own spin on things that makes it special. Oh, and Lackey is no longer batshit about fanfic--apparently she is now allowing it under something called a Creative Commons license, which basically means that the fans agree that they're not doing it for profit and that the characters belong to the original author. I think I read somewhere that she was persuaded by Jim Butcher, who is doing the same thing. There were a whole slew of posts and rants on Metafandom about fanfic recently, due to author Diana Gabaldon going apeshit about fanfic and comparing fanfic writers to creepy stalkers who write sexual fantasies about her daughter (because her characters are like her children, see?). Anyway, one of those posts mentioned Lackey's reversal about fanfic, which was nice to hear, although I don't write Valdemar fanfic.
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Thanks for sharing.
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And you're welcome! ^_^