with its touch

[incandescens]

London, as usual, was tiring. Ended up getting the slow train up, due to missing the fast one by approximately 2 minutes -- otoh, since I was napping on the train anyhow, didn't miss that much. Traded in various CDs and books at the Notting Hill Gate Exchange, and came out of it with several books on cult movies and horror movies. Always useful for imagination fodder.

Also stopped by Forbidden Planet and Murder One. Among other things, picked up a couple of period Japan murder mysteries by Laura Joh Rowland, which looked intriguing. Fingers crossed.

I must recommend -- http://members.aol.com/Brumblepop/fics/fh/index.html -- Frodo Hill; or, the Memoirs of a Hobbit of Pleasure, and one of the most beautiful and funny parodies of Fanny Hill I've ever had the pleasure of reading. (Well, not that I've read that many, but you know what I mean.) Quite simply a delight.

Mm. Some late Christmas presents from my father to me arrived, courtesy (or discourtesy) of amazon.co.uk. I now have The Ink-Dark Moon (love poems by Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikibu, from Heian era Japan) and a translation of the Tale of the Heike. Gorgeous.

---

What color is
this blowing autumn wind,
that it can stain
my body
with its touch?

-- Izumi Shikibu

Comments

[marith.livejournal.com]

The first book in the Rowland series (_Shinju_, I think?) drove me up the wall, sadly. Very nifty conceit, and makes me want to run a game some day about book-runners, but the exposition was *so* clunky I put it down in chapter three.

Maybe it gets better later though - let me know what you think?

[incandescens]

Blast. I haven't tried them yet, but will hope that her style improves and that they get a bit better. (Otherwise, it's off to the book exchange or the charity shop . . .)

[mikeneko.livejournal.com]

I must recommend
Having lost several productive hours to this Chotchke of Doom, blame is now assigned. (points)

[incandescens]

I would answer you, Madam, in the most straightforward and precise of terms, save that I am for the moment distracted by a Threatening Risotto involving both Chicken and Mushrooms. In lieu of time to better Hone my Words, I will merely Say that; 'tis a pleasant thing in this world to know that one's Friend has spent several hours of amusement, and I Cannot bring myself to accept either Blame or Shame on account of this matter.