Mini-Reviews Round 123

If you're not in the habit of checking out the "here are links to the last two weeks worth of reviews" posts I put up on FiMFiction, you might want to make an exception for yesterday's: included at no extra cost are a Russian translation of my story, Going Up, along with fanart of the same!  Really spiffy fanart, too, if I do say so myself.  Check it out here!  And once you're done with that, head below the break for my thought on some recent reading material of the pony-related variety.

Fandom Classics Part 152: Arachnophobia

To read the story, click the image or follow this link.

Spiders!  I'm rather fond of spiders, myself; while I definitely do not endorse them crawling all over me, I generally try not to kill them when I see one around the house.  Sure, a house with no invertebrate guests would be ideal, but given the choice between a few spiders and a bunch of whatever-those-spiders-are-eating, I'll take the spiders every day.  Based on the title of today's review, though, I'm guessing we're not in for a tale of eight-legged appreciation.  Head down below the break for my thoughts on Dennis the Menace's Arachnophobia.

Mini-Reviews Round 122

Any of you who like to download stories to an e-reader and are tired of FiMFic's broken epub downloads, take note: FiMFetch is a site that offers souped-up story searching for FiMFiction.net, and as a nifty bonus, comes with fully-functional epub and mobi downloads.  Handy stuff!

And, if you're looking for a story to try it out with, perhaps you can see if one of the stories below works for you.  Check out my thoughts on them, below the break.

Fandom Classics Part 151: The Three Sisters

To read the story, click the image or follow this link.

Recently, a site I regularly visit has been running the same "sponsored ad" every time I got there: "You won't believe these websites really exist!"  I haven't clicked the link yet, but I've been thinking... what if OMPR is on there?  Wouldn't "this man reads fanfiction, then writes lengthy reviews of their style, structure, and content.  And he's been doing it three times a week for four and a half years" be the sort of thing a normal person would react to the existence of with befuddlement and disbelief?

Well, if my site is on there, then all I can say is that they need to up their advertising budget.  I don't know who else they're showing that ad to, but I haven't seen a flood of new visitors from them yet.  Anyway, add one more to a list of fanfic reviews that's already "weirdly long:" my thoughts on Wanderer D's The Three Sisters, below the break.

Mini-Reviews Round 121

My cat has decided that those silicon bands (do you remember when they only came in yellow, with "LIVESTRONG" stamped on them?  Like, that was literally the only kind of silicon band being widely sold?  Pepperidge Farms remembers) are the ultimate enemy in my house, and has dedicated his life to eradicating them.  I'm not sure what's with the sudden animosity; it's not like I have a bunch lying around to begin with, but the ones I have I've had since I got him, and he hasn't shown any interest in them over the last couple of years.  Still, it's good to know that their previously-unknown evil plans are being so thoroughly thwarted.  And now that I'm safe, I can focus my attention on fanfic reviews!  My thoughts on a few stories I recently read, below.

Fandom Classics Part 150: The Sun & the Rose

To read the story, click the image or follow this link.

And we're back!  Sorry for the lack of Monday reviewage; it's the start of standardized testing season, and (as is not altogether unknown for me) it's snuck up on me.  Some day, perhaps, I will get my act together... but that day is not today.

Still, I did act-my-together-get enough to get this review set to post!  Click below for my thoughts on soulpillar's The Sun & the Rose.

First Sentences In (Fan)Fiction the 9th

In the past couple of weeks, I've gotten a pair of recommendations on what fanfics' first sentences I should comment on, next time I do one of these posts.  This reminded me that I haven't done a First Sentences post since 2015 (time flies!), but it also made me think that a post of recommended first sentences would be nice to do.  So with that in mind: today's going to be a set culled from the recent-ish Fandom Classics, but in the near future I'll be doing a set composed entirely of recommended fics.  If you want to recommend one, either leave a comment here, PM me on FiMFiction, or shoot me an e-mail.

Goodness, I feel so... accessable.  Anyway, head below the break for today's installment of first-sentence-ing!

Mini-Reviews Round 120

I wrote some words about horsewords for the 120th time (not to be confused with the 300-ish times I wrote a bunch of words about horsewords).  Check out my words about horsewords below the break.

Fandom Classics Part 149: Loyalty

To read the story, click the image or follow this link.

So, how about that Super Bowl, eh?  I'm actually writing this blurb before the game, but whatever; I don't have a strong rooting interest either way.  However, since I put five bucks into an office square, I do have a rooting interest in one or more quarters ending with the last digits of the scores at Denver 6, Carolina 4, or at 7-7.  Well, or three other numbers, but all of them have a five, eight, or both in them, so... pretty much 6-4 or 7-7.  And on the topic of sports, here's a review of a fic with a Wonderboltsian bent!  My thoughts on Arbarano's Loyalty, below.

Mini-Reviews Round 119

Usually, these mini-reviews are whatever I've happened to read recently, which can make for an eclectic mix of story ages.  But within the last few days, three different just-published stories have caught my eye/been directed at me.  So have some reviews of brand-new stuff, below the break!

Fandom Classics Part 148: Flash Fog

To read the story, click the image or follow this link.

Snow day!  And the first one of the year, too!  Man, I was starting to worry we wouldn't get any this year, after the winter's earlier storms all managed to hit on weekends.  Let me tell you something: you're never too old to get excited about staying home in front of a fire instead of going to school, even when school is also your workplace.

By way of celebration, let's have a fanfic review!  Sure, they come around a bit more often than snow days, but that doesn't mean they can't be celebratory, does it?  My thoughts on Kwackerjack's Flash Fog, below the break.

Twilight and Applejack at the Ponyville Cowcus

Today's the Iowa caucus, and in honor of that, I wrote a story!

...Well, "story" might be a little strong.  I wrote a 1500 word scenelette about Twilight learning a little bit about the ineffable wonders of representative democracy, firsthoof.  What's described is actually closer to how Iowa democrats run their caucuses, despite me using republican names (they make for better name puns, it turns out).  If that doesn't sound completely awful to you, check it out below the break!