sholio | Random fan stuff

Book rec: Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch. I think I've found a new series to love. :D I've been looking for ages for something else that hits me the same way Dresden Files does, and I think I've figured out what it was that wasn't working for me in so much of the urban fantasy I've been reading -- it's either hyper-serious, gritty and dark, or so silly that it verges on parody. Midnight Riot hit the exact right balance of funny/absurd and serious for my tastes, plus I really loved the cast of characters, and the world-building (and sense of place) is absolutely first-rate. Peter Grant is a rookie cop in London who discovers that he has a talent for magic, which leads to the subsequent discovery that there is a branch of the London police force that handles magic-related crimes, which he is now a part of, whether he wants to be or not. Aside from the fact that it was a little disconcerting reading a book in which the protagonist is named Peter while concurrently fanning on White Collar like a mad fanning thing, I had a blast with the book and I've just ordered the sequel, Moon Over Soho, from Amazon. If you're looking for something generally Dresden Files-like, I strongly recommend!

fkficfest/

fkficfest has just started posting stories. Somewhere in the mix, there's one by me (and one for me, too!).

I posted my official stepping-down notice over at

sga_genficathon. I've been reluctant to admit that I've wandered pretty far afield from SGA these days, but I think it's become increasingly obvious from the content of my journal that this is, in fact, the case. I still consider SGA a "home" fandom for me, and I suspect that I'll continue to wander in and out of it over the years (like I do with ST:TOS and a couple of others), but I don't think I'll be participating in any more SGA fic exchanges/challenges/etc. in the near future -- the inspiration is no longer there. It's been a good long run, though.