Autism about apartment types

Mar. 3rd, 2026 08:22 pm
mindstalk: (books)
[personal profile] mindstalk

In the US, small apartments are divided between '1BR' (one bedroom, separated from anything else especially the kitchen) and 'studios' (one big room, apart from the bathroom; fridge noise and cooking grease can waft to your bed.) Japan has finer grain: '1R' (studio), '1K' (door between bedroom and kitchen; kitchen is probably a kitchenette in the entranceway; you take food to your bedroom or eat standing), '1DK' (the kitchen area is big enough for a dining table), '1LDK' (I suspect blurry boundaries, but notionally an even bigger common area -- room for a couch? -- and maybe a counter walling off the kitchen.) I had the impulse to classify my housing. No promises of this being interesting to anyone but me.

Read more... )

due South: Puzzle Pieces by luzula

Mar. 3rd, 2026 11:32 pm
mific: (DS blue)
[personal profile] mific posting in [community profile] fancake
Fandom: due South
Characters/Pairings: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski, Maggie Mackenzie/Francesca Vecchio, Benton Fraser/Frannie Vecchio, Ray Kowalski/ Maggie McKenzie
Rating: Explicit
Length: 7587
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply
Creator Links: luzula on AO3, and on the Audiofic Archive.
Themes: Siblings, Marriage, Family, Domestic, Kidfic, Polyamory, Bisexual characters, AU

Summary: Sedoretu AU. Glimpses from the marriage of Fraser, Ray K, Maggie, and Frannie.

Reccer's Notes: I love the 4-person marriage invented by Ursula Le Guin - the sedoretu - and [personal profile] luzula makes it work perfectly here. In this 'verse there's the category of gender, plus another category called moiety - morning and evening people. In a sedoretu there are two same-sex and two opposite-sex couples, and two pairings (morning-morning and evening-evening) that are forbidden. Here, the forbidden pairings include the half-siblings, Fraser & Maggie. Luzula writes them all beautifully and lets us see how well this poly marriage works. We also get glimpses of how the sedoretu is the usual form of marriage in this AU, with their parents also in sedoretus. Domestic and lovely.

Fanwork Links: Puzzle Pieces, and luzula also recorded it as a podfic here.

Piano thoughts

Mar. 2nd, 2026 11:50 pm
eve_prime: (tree)
[personal profile] eve_prime
Yesterday I was about to repurpose a browser tab when I realized it was the new month’s event calendar for the bookstore. Looking more closely, I saw there was about to be a piano concert there in three hours, at which my violinist friend Julia would be performing too! So I went. The concert was by a piano teacher named Alexis Gibbons; she performed works by Bach, Glass, Scarlatti, Ravel, and Rachmaninoff. Apparently her students had been doing their recitals at the bookstore for years (the piano is a very nice one, donated by a woman I’ve met whose stepson plays clarinet with the San Francisco Symphony), but this was her first appearance as featured artist.

I started thinking, hm, D’s clarinet teacher had two kinds of students, children and older adults. Maybe I should consider piano lessons? I do have a piano, which has been sitting here functioning as a photo display shelf for at least 20 years. It had been my grandma’s classroom piano – it was built somewhere Back East around 1905 and then shipped “round the Horn” to Oregon.

My conclusion was that maybe I should consider piano lessons, but if I might want to do that, first I should… move the computer and stuff on the floor so there’s room for the bench, relocate all the nice photos keeping me from opening the key lid, get out my old piano books, and see if I can make a habit of practicing scales and other music. For all I know, the repetitive strain injury in my right hand would complain! The piano probably needs tuning, too.

(no subject)

Mar. 3rd, 2026 11:38 am
kareina: (Default)
[personal profile] kareina
 Spring is certainly already here—when I got on the bus this morning, the entire front window upstairs was covered in a thick sheet of ice, from melting snow hitting the window and freezing again, as temps were just under freezing.
 
icy windows
 
However, by the time we were in Umeå, and hour and a half later, the temps were above freezing, and the action of the windshield wipers had taken away all of the slush so I could see out the window again.

[syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed

Posted by Amanda

Welcome back and happy Tuesday!

Just a handful of books on our radar this week, but there are busier weeks ahead this month.

Which new releases are you excited for this week? Let us know in the comments!

A Ghastly Catastrophe

A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn

Author: Deanna Raybourn
Released: March 3, 2026 by Berkley
Genre: , ,
Series: Veronica Speedwell Mysteries #10

Veronica and Stoker are practically dying for a new adventure, but when their wish is granted, they find themselves up against a secret society and a darkly seductive duo in this landmark historical mystery from beloved New York Times bestselling and Edgar® Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide—and Veronica and her intrepid beau Stoker know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Romany boy may know more about their first victim, and the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear that the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

Sarah: I love this series. LOVE it. I am so ready to hang out with Veronica.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

In Her Own League

In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde

Author: Liz Tomforde
Released: March 3, 2026 by Golden Boy Publishing
Genre: ,

As the first female team owner in Major League Baseball, Reese Remington has spent her entire life preparing for this role. With a sharp mind and years of experience working behind the scenes, she’s more than qualified. But the public only sees a woman in a man’s world — not the person who’s earned their place on the field. Under constant scrutiny and pressure to prove herself, Reese can’t afford distractions.

Especially one that comes in the form of the team’s tempting field manager who questions her every decision.

Emmett Montgomery is a former All-Star turned coach who treats his players like family and the field like home. After years of running the team his way, the last thing he wants is a new boss, let alone one who seems ice-cold and laser-focused on business. But forced to spend long hours – and too many away games – side by side, he begins to see the fire beneath Reese’s control, the heart behind her ambition, and the unwavering determination to prove herself.

When heated banter turns into sizzling chemistry, professional boundaries blur and the spark between them becomes impossible to resist. But Reese is constantly reminded of how many people are waiting for her to fail, and the safest move is to keep Emmett at arm’s length – for the sake of the team, the season, and her career.

But keeping their distance is one game neither of them can seem to win.

The heroine is the first female team owner in Major League Baseball.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

The Library of Amorlin

The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson

Author: Kalyn Josephson
Released: March 3, 2026 by Erewhon Books
Genre: ,
Series: The Age of Beasts #1

A brilliant con artist and a secretive librarian collide in New York Times bestselling author Kalyn Josephson’s enchanting adult fantasy debut packed with twists, tricks, slowburn romantic tension, and magical creatures — perfect for fans of S.A. MacLean, Mai Corland, and K.A. Linde.

“Absolutely fantastic—I couldn’t put this book down! A stunning, absorbing, and timely tale about a wondrous library, magical beasts, and a conwoman with both everything and nothing to lose. I loved it!” —Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

Kasira used to be a masterful con artist: choosing her target, building trust, judging the precise moment to make her move. Now, she’s working off a lengthy prison sentence by hunting dangerous magical creatures on behalf of the fanatical kingdom of Kalthos.

But Kasira’s past catches up to her when the ambassador from Kalthos arrives at her camp with a deal: her freedom in exchange for infiltrating and destabilizing the magical institution meant to protect all six kingdoms—the Library of Amorlin.

When Kasira assumes the role of the new Assistant Librarian, she enters an enchanting world brimming with books and beasts, tempting her with a life she can never have. But Kasira’s real future depends on her long con to bring down the Librarian. Unfortunately, Allaster is as prickly as he is handsome, and his monstrous secrets are about to catch up with them both . . .

Amanda: A former con artist and a librarian!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

No Matter What

No Matter What by Cara Bastone

Author: Cara Bastone
Released: March 3, 2026 by The Dial Press
Genre: ,

Sometimes love sends you back to the drawing board.

After a traumatic accident threatens the foundations of their happy marriage, a couple tries to rebuild and find their way back to each other—and themselves—in this tender, slow-burn romance by the bestselling author of Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine.

“Cara Bastone is an absolute master of tender, emotional, soul-charged love stories.”—B.K. Borison, New York Times bestselling author of First-Time Caller

Roz and Vin can’t look each other in the eyes anymore, let alone share a bed. It’s been a year since they survived a life-altering accident, and their marriage hasn’t been the same. But Roz has held out hope that they can fix things, until she discovers Vin has signed a new lease. So she does what any soon-to-be-divorced Manhattanite would do: sign up for a figure-drawing class.

Between Roz’s determined attempts to improve her artistic skills and her adventures with her best friend, Raffi, she can almost ignore Vin’s impending move-out date and his footsteps in their previously unoccupied guest room. But it would all be a lot easier if Vin wasn’t Raffi’s older brother, and if she didn’t still find him incredibly, debilitatingly attractive and kind.

So kind, in fact, that Vin offers to let Roz draw him. What is she supposed to say? It’s probably better than her original plan of finding some random male model online, and she needs all the practice she can get. Plus, that’s sure to make a separation easier, right? Focus on every detail of your estranged spouse’s body while drawing him in the nude? But after the year they’ve spent avoiding each other, it feels good to see and be seen by one another again.

As Roz works to capture the wholeness of the person she fell in love with, will they both be able to draw upon the feelings they buried deep inside to finally heal together?

The latest Cara Bastone, featuring a marriage in trouble!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Star Shipped

Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian

Author: Cat Sebastian
Released: March 3, 2026 by Avon
Genre: , ,

Cat Sebastian’s long-awaited foray into contemporary romance! A witty, emotional, and deliciously slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance between two costars on a popular sci-fi television series.

Simon and Charlie, actors on a long-running sci-fi show, can’t stand one another. Charlie is impetuous, outgoing, and basically feral, and Simon thinks he should have stayed in reality television where he belongs. They’ve spent the better part of a decade quarreling over the spotlight and pretty much everything else, and everybody in the industry knows it. Now that Simon’s contract is finally done, he can move to New York, start fresh with work he actually likes, and get away from Charlie.

Simon’s only problem is that people might assume he’s been pushed off the show due to being impossible to work with. And he is kind of difficult to work with. He doesn’t get along with people—unlike Charlie, who somehow tricked everyone on the show into adoring him despite some outrageously bad on-set behavior during the show’s first season. Simon would rather never have to see Charlie again, but reluctantly agrees to stage a very public friendship during the short time before he moves. When Charlie has to leave town to deal with a family emergency, this means Simon comes along. Their road trip brings Simon to places he would never have willingly chosen to visit—and he finds he’s actually not having a terrible time.

The more he gets to know Charlie, the more Simon suspects he’s underestimated his former coworker. Simon also realizes that after seven years, Charlie might know him better than anyone ever has. Even stranger, Charlie seems to be starting to actually like him, despite knowing him so well. Still, Simon is about to move three thousand miles away, so whatever’s starting between him and Charlie can’t really amount to anything… right?

Elyse: I loved Sebastian’s historicals, so I’m excited for this contemporary.

Lara: I adored this book! It lifted me out of my Heated Rivalry hangover.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Tuesday 03/03/2026

Mar. 3rd, 2026 09:11 am
dark_kana: (3_good_things_a_day official icon)
[personal profile] dark_kana posting in [community profile] 3_good_things_a_day

1) Going out for a walk in the sunshine with a colleague

2) My parents are coming over dinner

3) If I still have some time afterwards, I'm going to work on my photo's of 2025

I ordered some stickers

Mar. 1st, 2026 11:17 am
conuly: (Default)
[personal profile] conuly
and on the packaging it says:

"This product is not a toy and is intended for collection or use by individuals aged 14 or above"

They're superhero stickers! 14 and above! What do they think kids are doing, eating them!?

***********************


Read more... )

Unblemished

Mar. 3rd, 2026 07:44 am
poliphilo: (Default)
[personal profile] poliphilo
 When you don't sleep too well you don't sit up or set alarms or squander any time you might spend asleep so I didn't catch the blood moon.  The one time I got up, for other reasons, I looked out the window and the full moon was still shining at the top of the sky like a silver sixpence.

Unblemished.
thewayne: (Default)
[personal profile] thewayne
If you have a local Staples, they may be having a clearance sale on them. I picked up a nice Staples-labeled chair for about half-off, took me about half an hour to assemble it. The instructions were excellent: Ikea-like, but included words. ;-) I was a little frustrated in that I didn't find the instructions until I'd pretty much emptied the box, they were in a plastic bag taped with the screw assortment (which is nicely segregated according to what step they are needed for) which was then taped to the box holding the pneumatic cylinder.

MUCH more comfortable than the wood dining table chair that I had been sitting on, it was absolutely horrible for my back! I should clear the floor a bit and slide my PC tower over a little to give the poodle a bit more room to get under the table. It's not a perfect chair, but for $160, it's awfully darn good!

At least at my Staples, they're clearing room to install a Party City, or some other silliness. Personally I think it's a bad idea, but hey, they didn't ask me.

Book review: Earthlings

Mar. 2nd, 2026 09:41 pm
rocky41_7: (Default)
[personal profile] rocky41_7 posting in [community profile] booknook
Title: Earthlings
Author: Sayaka Murata
Translator: Ginny Takemori
Genre: Fiction

The second book I finished this weekend was Earthlings by Sakyaka Murata, translated from Japanese by Ginny Takemori. This book is about Natsuki, a girl who's always felt she doesn't quite belong with humans. This has been book #16 from the "Women in Translation" rec list.

I've struggled a lot with what to say about this book, or whether to say anything at all. First, as many other reviews note, the book description does not in any way prepare you for the trigger warnings that may apply, so if you have no-gos for reading, do have a look around for a list before you crack this one open. 

There are a lot of things you could take away from this book. The lifelong impact of childhood sexual abuse. The damage of a child having no safe adult to confide in. The pain of feeling alienated from society. The pain caused by strict social expectations that leave no room for individuals to pursue other modes of living. The danger that refusing to allow deviations from the "norm" will lead individuals incapable of conforming to that norm to reject society altogether. The idea that rejecting smaller social rules eventually leads to complete anarchy and amorality. The suffocating impact of the absence of privacy and the extremes to which it may drive people.

It is an exploration of the harm done, intentionally and unintentionally, to those who don't "fit" into the mold of society. How much of it is reality and how much of it is Natsuki's imagination is also up to the reader.

It's also a book about interrogating taboos, which leads to the trigger warning above. Natsuki's choice not to marry or have children is in and of itself, violating a taboo of her culture. Her feeling that violating this taboo does no harm to her or anyone else naturally leads to questioning other taboos, and you can't write a book about questioning taboos and then say "but not that taboo, that's too taboo!" so the book does go some dark places as Natsuki and her companions ask themselves if there's anything rational in refraining from theft, murder, and assault. 

The translation is well done, particularly in dealing with a number of sensitive subjects.

I'm not sure what I ultimately take away from Earthlings. Perhaps how much damage societal rejection has on a person's psyche and the harms that can spawn from that. We are, in the end, social creatures. Feeling from a young age that you don't belong is bound to have detrimental developmental impacts.

Profile

susandennis: (Default)
Susan Dennis

March 2026

S M T W T F S
1 234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031    

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit