> Geek Trip to the roving comics fayre on Saturday, but apparently there was something else going on the same day because a lot of the regular folks weren't there. Including the main graphic novel guy, so no cheap graphic novels for me, meh. I did find a load of Astonishing X Men comics though - Phil Noto cover art and stores written by Marjorie Liu? Yes please *grabby hands*. Later we flipped a coin between The Lego Movie and The Grand Budapest Hotel, as we fancied something amusing, and The Lego Movie won. It was indeed amusing. With a theme tune that I still can't shake out of my head, and that's where this week's title is from *grins*. Since it was also a geek trip following my birthday I got spoilt with geeky things, including Hawkeye and Black Widow style wrapped presents, one of which was a Skottie Young Black Widow t-shirt (!!!), and three gorgeous arty birthday cards. Also Avengers badges and I'm going to see Ed Sheeran in October! I am a lucky, lucky person :D

( arty awesome birthday cards )

> On the box: I have watched this week's The Walking Dead and am now one and a half episodes away from the end of season three of Buffy. Yeah, I'm bad at tv.

> Books read: I started the week off by reading The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer and then I didn't pick up another book for the rest of this week because I needed to digest that one, and to get over the ouch. It's a very well written story about grief and mental illness. It also contains a character with Downs Syndrome, which is always great to see, but feels a little like the story has been overloaded with this character and two characters with mental illness being in the same family. Which can and does happen, but also smells a little like the author is throwing as much difference as possible at the reader. And then that character is the one who we know from the start is dead, so, yeah, not great awareness raising there. Those are the only two things I find a bit problematic. Other than that, it's very good. Not one for when you're feeling down though - it made me cry.

> This weeks comics: Agent of Asgard #2 (alas, no Avengers, but the God of Lies has met a character who only hears the truth, so that could be interesting), Jupiter's Legacy #3 (woah, time jump! But interesting), and Magneto #1 (yes, I got the Skottie Young cover ;) This feels a but like 'what Magneto does when he's not being a super villan' in the style of Hawkeye and Black Widow, and I'm not sure this interests me).

> Recs: I love Sherlock fics where Molly is a strong character, where she grows into her own, but fics like the breath that passed from you to me by rsadelle (Sherlock, Molly/Sherlock, Mature, 14,843 words) remind me that a Molly who can be an idiot when it comes to Sherlock isn't necessarily idiotic or less strong than any other type of Molly.
I also read a bunch of Hunger Games fics this week. Have three (bring tissues):
Out of the Night: An Interview with a Mockingjay by athousandwinds (Katniss/Peeta, Teen and Up, 2440 words) After twenty-five years, Katniss Everdeen breaks her long silence to speak to our star reporter.
To the Victor, The Spoil by Annakovsky (Katniss/Haymitch, Explicit, Underage, 13,360 words) No berries, no mockingjay, no rebellion. Katniss killed Peeta in the arena, and now she has to live with herself like every other victor.
Valor, Valeria by aimmyarrowshigh (various pairings, Explicit, 8643 words) Gale sells and Finnick is sold, and there is no honor in Panem. aka two boys grow up in two different Districts and life is easy for no one.

I posted a html guide for livejournal over on be_compromised that's a bundle of things I've picked up over the years. I don't think of myself as tech savvy, so do join the html party and add your own hints and tips! I've already picked up a few from the comments :) I also updated the rules on the profile page and the Guide To Tags and Tagging, and added more tags. Phew!

I got my Secret Santa assignment and I'm so excited! The only problem is that it's given me ideas and I don't know which one to write and I want to research all of them anyway!

I'm working on a Big Post of Doctor Who with my reaction to the last episode, this half of the season that we've had, and a bunch of recs for fic, vids, and meta. My attention keeps getting caught by more things to look and read, oops, but I'm getting there.

In the meantime, have a handful of recs.

Recs: 3 Harry Potter, 1 Sherlock BBC, 1 Avengers

From the Desk of Minerva McGonagall by selmak (at the minerva_fest) PG, 6700 words, summary: In all her years as a Head of House, Minerva McGonagall had never sent more than ten letters home to a parent in any given year. Then Fred and George Weasley came to Hogwarts. Perfect Minerva, perfect twins. Smiles and feels.

The Threads of Sisterhood by hondagirll PG, warning for some characters dying of old age, 4000 words, summary: Lucy was an accident. Or rather, five moments in the life and times of Molly and Lucy. Gen. This is a really lovely look at how a younger-than-everyone-else Lucy would be different, that everyone is different anyway, and that in the end it doesn't matter, because she's Molly's sister.

The Peculiar Resilience of the Refugee by Squibstress Teen and up, warning for brief, non-explicit reference to sexual abuse, Gen, 7777 words, summary: After the war, Petunia takes refuge at the Three Broomsticks. Leapt into my favourite Harry Potter fics with it's layers, hints of Muggles and Squibs and differences in the Magical World without beating the reader over the head with them, it's subtleties, and the believability of this friendship.

Fairy Tale of Regent's Park by Basingstoke two stories that are teen and up overall, 6163 words total, AU, summary: There is a swan, and he's not named Sherlock. And there is a duck, and he's not named John. I found this gem the other day. Give it a try. It made me smile a lot.

And There Are Deserts Still by Amy Teen and up, Gen, 9310 words, I would warn for acting without choice/being triggered/past brainwashing, non-fatal violence, and identity questioning, summary: "Freely we choose, and what we have chosen to become stands in judgment over what we may yet hope to be." Also, Clint bakes muffins. The friendship and understanding between Clint, Natasha, and Coulson in this is a thing of beauty, this fic explores the ideas that it considers wonderfully, and there's a depth to everything that I love.

It’s been Disability Awareness Day in my part of the world today. Emphasis on the awareness. It’s okay not to be comfortable around disability, it’s okay to have questions, it’s okay not to know how to ask those questions, but I believe that it’s not okay to ignore anyone and a whole lot worse when sometimes it appears that whole swathes of society don’t even exist.

I was chatting with my Gran the other day about a book that we’d both loved and I mentioned, as part of a discussion, that I believed one of the characters thought that their husband was bipolar or had a mental illness. My Mum said to me later that it wasn’t right to bring that up, because my Gran is apparently bipolar. Now, I knew that she was taking medication for a mental illness and I’d helped her with depression in the past, but I think it would have been useful to have been aware before now. Not that labels help, but my Gran had been given this label and living with it. I once lent her my high school biology textbook, because it’s amazing the things that I take for granted that I’ve been taught, so what might she have been thinking about being called bipolar? My Dad asked why shouldn’t we talk about it and that’s my stance. I think things need to be talked about and aired. Disabilities, be they mental, physical, or otherwise, don’t need to be hushed up. The more open we are, the more we all learn, the better.

So, if anyone would like to talk to me or ask me questions about disabilities: my Gran is bipolar, my sister has Downs Syndrome, I have spent a lot of time with kids and young adults with disabilities, I’ve had a friend with cerebral palsy, a cousin in a wheelchair, and I’ve spent time with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Personally I just wear glasses and learnt sign language; I’m mostly an outsider and regardless everybody’s experiences are subjective anyway. However, if you want to chat, about your experiences or living with people with disabilities, here’s a chance :)

And this is me, so I’m going to throw some recs at you as well *grins* and feel free to throw recs back:

( Avengers, X Men, Harry Potter, and Sherlock recs )

( Book recs )

( Film and TV recs )

I really need to do some rec posts, especially for the crazy amount of Avengers things that I have been loving, but since today is not that day I'm going to share some fun things at least:

Since it was the Queen’s jubilee today have an appropriate and amusing Sherlock gif (spoilers for 2.1): here

Speaking of amusing gifs, take a look at THIS Avengers one followed by THIS. No spoilers. Made my laugh my socks off.

Have a Star Trek 2 teaser trailer. It's on the way, yay!

An absolutely fantatic Tony Stark/Iron Man vid: Cuckoo by radiobroadcast on YouTube, footage from Iron Man and Iron Man 2.

Fix It is an absolutely amazing Coulson online comic/graphic novel/thing/I don't know, I was too busy staring at it! Spoilers for Avengers. Summary: a story of some Coulson, some doughnuts, and some fixing.

There is a Coulson game. I am pants at it, ha.

I’ve doing a load of rec posts for many wonderful Natasha, Clint, and Natasha/Clint things over on be_compromised where there are many great things. Take a look!

the common sense guide to surviving the zombie apocalypse from Postcard and gyzym on tumblr. Amusing and full of common sense. Also, I do not think I will survive, heh.

Downstairs, In Baker Stree by behtan_b_bad (PG13, 5,254). A mash up of many different fandoms, the most obvious being Sherlock BBC, James Bond, and RED, with spoilers for Sherlock 2.3. I absolutely love this. It is full of ladies and mature ladies for the win. They solve things and kick butt and this is the Mrs Hudson for me.

See title. (And I’m really not joking about the ‘epic’.) I keep meaning to link to vids and fics that I’ve liked (and loved) and never do, which is shameful, so here be vid recs (although none with Rory, because I have plans for those *grins*). If you’re worried about spoilers note what footage is used for each. Also, I tried to put them in a storytelling order if you like recommended viewing lists ;)

( Avengers Vid Recs )

( X Men Vid Recs )

( Sherlock Vid Recs )

( Star Trek XI Recs )

( Firefly/Serenity Vid Recs )

( Harry Potter Vid Recs )

( Doctor Who Vid Recs )

( And while we're here, have a few more for good luck )

It's times like these that I realise I seriously need to either rec as soon as I see/read something, or organise my internet favourites and tags far better! So, after a quick trawl though my links I bring you recs in which women rock. Please do rec me more!

Fics

A Girl Needs A Gun These Days by vialethe (Firefly, PG13, 9000 words)
The ladies shine. Summary: A missing rich kid, a kidnapped Captain, a houseful of fake Companions, and one redhead con-artist - it's all in a day's work for the ladies of Serenity.

One Chrysalis at a Time by igrockspock (Torchwood, PG, 5300 words)
Tosh evolves and it's beautiful to watch. Summary: Postcards are not a substitute for a relationship.

How I Met Your Silurian by seriousfic (Doctor Who, PG, 1522 words)
Jenny goes to a rock concert in the 21st century, meets Vastra, and ends up in the Victorian era. Somehow it all works out.

Your History Written In Stars And Time by such_heights (Doctor Who, General, 1462 words)
Donna may have forgotten, but the universe hasn't. Beautiful.

Marriage a Trois by Sorrel (Sherlock 2009, Teen, 33,296 words)
A Holmes/Watson/Mary story in which Mary is the focus and the one to watch. I love her in this.

The Deepest Secret Nobody Knows by sciosophia (Sherlock BBC, PG13, 12,500 words)
The real reason Sally Donovan hates Sherlock so much? They have a child he never sees.

An Avalanche Of Detour Signs by gyzym (Sherlock BBC, Mature, 56,053 words)
One of the best Molly fics ever. Summary: In which Molly Hooper gets a job, gets a degree, breaks a heart, has her heart broken, falls in love, keeps a secret, saves a life, runs a morgue, falls apart, pulls it together, and finds exactly what she didn't know she was looking for--not necessarily in that order.

The Anatomist by rosa_acicularis (Sherlock BBC, Adult)
In which Molly is Jim's twin sister. Be afraid.

you took my hand and danced with me by sciosophia (Sherlock BBC/Doctor Who, PG, 1000 words)
The women of Sherlock as the Doctor's companions.

Hen Party by MinervaFan (Doctor Who, all ages, 5444 words)
A fun fic in which River gets a bunch of companions together.

With All My Crooked Heart by igrockspock (Star Trek XI, PG, 1189 words)
Summary: Uhura makes Gaila take a really boring literature class, and then Gaila tells her about the secret language of the slaves.

Dangerous Jobs for Girls by lazy_neutrino (Harry Potter, PG, 3800 words)
Luna Lovegood, Andromeda Tonks, and Astoria Malfoy are The Quibbler.

The Other Path by laleia (Harry Potter, PG13, short)
When they gossip about Hermione in the streets, she holds her tongue and promises to herself that they will see.

Five Women Who Hate Fleur Delacour by snegurochka_lee (Harry Potter, PG13, 7300 words)
This is THE femgenfic in Harry Potter for me, but I also highly recommend her Five Dead Women and Five Stories about Gwenog Jones.

Vids

Suddenly I See by kuwdora
A Castle vid in which the awesome women in Castle's life are appreciated.

Suddenly I See by purplefringe.
A smiley Firefly vid with Kaylee and Inara.

kaydeefalls with the girl who falls downstairs, a Joss Whedon women reclaiming their identities vid.

It's you, girl, and you should know it! by makeshiftusername and Book of Days by kaydeefalls, showcasing the women of Doctor Who and Torchwood.

Martha from Doctor Who is brilliant in Unwritten by DWDeb and Shut Up And Drive by laurashapiro, Donna in Paloma by delta8cephei, and River in Invincible by humansuperior.

Multifandom women are brilliant vids: 2nd Law by kaydeefalls, Tightrope by such_heights, wild child by calapine, She's A Rebel by kaydeefalls, and One Girl Revolution by arefadedaway.

Picspams and other such wonders

Vaginas on the Enterprise, a picspam of unsung women in Star Trek XI.

10 NON-COSTUMED, NON-POWERED FEMALE HEROINES.

Sites: where_no_woman, for the illumination of women in Star Trek. halfamoon, celebrating female characters in fandom. femgenficathon, also multifandom. womenlovefest, multifandom again.

Why yes, I am listening to Florence and The Machine's Ceremonials, which is fantastic and I would turn cartwheels in honour of these recs. If I could actually do a cartwheel, which I can't, no, but I could do a forward roll if you like. Maybe.

HERE there is a possible TARDIS siting in Sherlock's 'Hound of the Baskervilles' which is possibly confirmed by Steven Moffat. Much amusement!

HERE is a very fun Doctor Who fanvid by lady_with_cats in which the Eleventh Doctor likes showing off. And kissing. Lots of both. And moves like Jagger. You cannot help but be cheered up.

HERE is a Star Trek XI fanvid. I can't remember if I've recommended it before or not, but if so it would deserve a second shout out. It deserves many shout outs! It's the whole crew being all kinds of amazing by jactrades.

HERE is an incredible fic called The Republic of Heaven by blind_author which is a Sherlock and His Dark Materials crossover in which Sherlock and John live in the London of Lyra's world long after the events of Philip Pullman's novels. It is a WIP, just to warn you, but the author seems good about updating and it's worth reading regardless. The summary is: Born to a witch and a human, people know Sherlock will be unusual from the start. John Watson, on the other hand, seems perfectly ordinary, except for his dæmon...

In fact, HERE, have a huge list of brilliant Sherlock recs compiled by sciosophia. Stories that'll knock your socks off.

Happy Monday all!

Sharing some things that have made me smile a lot:

David Attenborough says "it's a wonderful world" with Frozen Planet and by the end of this vid I couldn't believe otherwise.

Love Is Cool, a Doctor Who vid with Amy, Rory, River, and Eleven by purplefringe and such_heights is indeed made of love.

Aptronyms by ElapsedSpiral is a Sherlock BBC fic (1,700 words, PG13, Gen, AU) which is summarised as: Mr Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Mr Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are the unfortunate sods named after them (AKA a rather strange AU of 2010 Sherlock). This is oh so fantastic and had me laughing.

As did Temps by humantales (17,982 words, Teen+, Gen) in which Torchwood need a technical specialist and a doctor, which the government are getting on Jack's case about, and Mycroft is trying to keep Sherlock and John (Sherlock BBC) safe from Moriarty without having to spend too much on repairing the damage that Sherlock can cause to a safe house. It is, as Mycroft says, a terrifying match made it heaven and I love it. It's episodic, everyone is in character, and everyone just fits together brilliantly.

Hopefully these will help ease those mid-week blues :)