Ren Warom's Blog, page 9

February 27, 2015

2015 Reading Challenge, Book 5: Ack Ack Macaque by Gareth L. Powell

I’m two books ahead of this, so I’m feeling pretty smug right now. Of course, these vlogs are getting less and less views, so I’m pretty sure no one else is as delighted as I am of this swathe of reading. Anyhow, my aim is to get these vlogs shorter, punchier��and��more fun, especially as the mental health vlogs might be a touch heavy going. So please do give this one a try and do go and check the book out, it’s a lot of fun and very strong!


Also, few things to note. When I say plastides, I me...

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Published on February 27, 2015 05:30

February 25, 2015

Poetic Interlude: The Long Winter

That was the long winter,

A discontent,

A darkness,

And as you passed the bones in your hands

Became knives to cut out sunlight

From blue skies


Stone ground cracked under

The weight of your feet

Their veins of granite spat blood

And we bathed

Cool and disinterested

At the feet of bleeding rock


Spring came stealthy

New shoots like fingers buried to the tips

Meant for hiding

I plucked them to keep Winter

But still they grew

Until the corpse of Spring could hide no more


Reluctant Summer grows heavy scented

Luxurio...

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Published on February 25, 2015 03:35

February 23, 2015

MHM 2: Cyclothymia

As promised, this is week two of mental health��Monday (they will be every two weeks, especially as I appear to be cracking through a book every week for the reading challenge). Here I go into a little more depth about cyclothymia in general (not too much as I’m no expert only an informed sufferer) and talk more about my experiences with this mood disorder,��and a little bit of history around my diagnosis etc. FYI there’s a lot of misunderstanding about dysphoria – some refer to it as a manic...

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Published on February 23, 2015 04:43

February 20, 2015

2015 Reading Challenge, Book 4: Moxyland by Lauren Beukes

Now I’m probably being a touch controversial here, as I have problems with this one, the same problems I’ve had with every��book I’ve read by Lauren Beukes. Something always feels like it’s missing. A piece out of place. I am always left dissatisfied. This does not mean to say I dislike her writing. I love it. This woman can write one hell of a sentence and her books are imbued with that depth of subject and context that brings a great deal of genre fiction close...

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Published on February 20, 2015 09:03

February 13, 2015

2015 Reading Challenge, book 3: Hollow Space Venture

This week’s Reading Challenge vlog is the ‘Book That Made You Cry’. It’s not for any reason you might imagine, considering this book is FUN, and crazy, and action packed as all get out. Hope you enjoy the vlog. I’m trying to keep them fun,��give a little overview of plot and generally tell you what I enjoyed best and why and also what I didn’t enjoy and why. This is only a review in as much as it my opinion of a thing I’ve read.


Bearing that in mind, here’s the vlog! Links will be in the descr...

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Published on February 13, 2015 04:55

February 11, 2015

Favoured Fives… Hitchcock movies

It being Hitchcock, you’d think I’d struggle with this one. But nope. I have��very distinct tastes when it comes to old lugubrious jowls himself. In fact I struggled to name a fifth movie I liked enough to put in that spot. The other four, however, presented an entirely different struggle. My number one spot in SET IN STONE. Immovable. Absolute. FIXED.


Not like one of those Whovian fixed points in time old timey-wimey himself can seem to find a wiggle room on, but a definite, non-negotiable ST...

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Published on February 11, 2015 09:11

February 9, 2015

MHM AKA Mental Health Monday

Here we go. This was supposed to start last week, but technical difficulties kind of got in the way. MHM are set to be almost entirely vlogs. They’ll be informal, informative (hopefully) and chatty (though not too much). I’ve started here by going over my diagnoses so that anyone who watches these who is suffering themselves knows that they’re listening to someone with experience of dealing with significant MH problems.


I’ve tried to give a little information on each diagnosis, but I will be d...

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Published on February 09, 2015 05:06

February 6, 2015

2015 Reading Challenge: Book Two: The Peripheral by William Gibson

Here it is, book two. The book set in the future. I waffled on for an AGE about this, and had to cut a tonne of my wafflings. Mainly stuff about Lowbeer, one of my fave characters, as that all got a bit spoilerific, but ugh I loved her, that ambiguous, wheeler-dealering, complex woman whose fingerprints were all over the story and events. I also had to cut my extended ramble about how awesome the book is in terms of gender diversity and diversity in general. Just absolutely stellar that a big...

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Published on February 06, 2015 04:46

January 30, 2015

2015 Reading Challenge, book one: Dust by Arthur Slade

This is the first of my reading challenge vlogs. Sorry it’s a bit of a patchwork, I had extreme cat interference. Been crazy for cats this months, some kind of January madness has infected them. Either way, the drama llamas are out in force. I keep meaning to film their various battles in slow-mo and add Godzilla-type sound effects and lasers. I think it’d be EPIC!


Anyhow, this is my review(ish) of Arthur Slade’s Dust. Hope it’s enjoyable. There’ll be links to buy Dust in the description box o...

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Published on January 30, 2015 05:36

January 28, 2015

Behind The Lonely Dark: Part 2

cover_ld02Apparently, we���re supposed to let themes bubble away beneath story and character, carrying through in a strong yet subtle tide that does not interfere with the narrative thrust. I don���t think it���s part of my particular skill set, as my themes always tend to end up fairly high in the mix. In other words, thanks to my heavier hand (which I like to pretend is intentional) mine are often a little bit Essex – as in a trifle ���in yer face���, but then I am an Essex girl and you can take the...

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Published on January 28, 2015 09:31