I stepped on an ancient fish

[sovay]

I feel I should mention I aten't dead. I am not doing well, but I persist to complain about it. I recommend Beth Lincoln's The Swifts (2023), an eccentric family murder-mystery-cum-treasure-hunt which I would not describe per one of its blurbs as "a Knives Out feel by way of Lemony Snicket" so much as "Edward Gorey does the Westing Game," although what it is really about is sorting one's own identity from expectation and tradition in a way which is focused through names and does not feel like a trans metaphor when the narrative casually has queer and trans characters in it, my favorite obviously being the non-binary cousin who knitted their own jumper in the coloration of a poison dart frog. I have watched a couple of movies, written a strongly worded letter which I suspect no real person will ever read about the continued dysfunction of Watch TCM, am planning to watch tonight's installment of Noir Alley as it airs because otherwise I won't see it and I could just have a real TV if I wanted this hassle. The cats continue to be wonderful.

Comments

[gwynnega]

I hope you feel better soon. The official TCM Twitter account says (as of two days ago) that "there's been a massive technical error that meant new films were not added to Watch TCM over the weekend. Engineering is working on fixing this now and they'll be up shortly." I hope this proves to be the case!

[minoanmiss]

Gorey does _The Westing Game_. Hmm.

[theseatheseatheopensea]

I hope you feel better soon! Meanwhile, you should complain as much as needed--sometimes, that's all we can do! (And I'm glad you have movies and cats!)

[thistleingrey]

Glad of your cats.

[yhlee]

*support support*

[radiantfracture]

I have put a hold on The Swifts. I love your refinements on its genre placement.

I was obsessed with The Westing Game. Maybe my first pattern novel.

I thought Ellen Raskin had also written a comic young adult künstlerroman, but that must have been someone else.

(Rabbit hole result: Daisy Summerfield's Style by M.B. Goffstein. I don't know why I put those together.)

Hugs.

[mrissa]

This is news I can use. I mean about The Swifts but also about you aten't being dead, I can always use that news.

[aurumcalendula]

*hugs*

That book sounds neat! (My memory of The Westing Game is hazy at the moment, but I remember really enjoying it)

[kore]

Yay not being dead! As my dad used to say, it beats the alternative.

That book sounds neat, but oh wow the note about deliberately Americanizing the US edition right up front was kind of disappointing. Do you have the UK edition? (Bad flashbacks to buying editions from Amazon.co.uk of the Bryant and May series....)

[asakiyume]

A sweater in poison-dart-frog patterns is a strong selling point!

[swan_tower]

an eccentric family murder-mystery-cum-treasure-hunt which I would not describe per one of its blurbs as "a Knives Out feel by way of Lemony Snicket" so much as "Edward Gorey does the Westing Game,"

SOLD.