Mini-Reviews Round 173

Since FiMFiction basically told everyone "y'all oughta change your passwords" the other day, I decided that this was as fine a time as any to quit recycling the same half-dozen passwords for every computer thing I do, and sign up for a password manager.  So from now on, if I suddenly stop posting here and never log on to FiMFic again, there are two possibilities as to what's happened to me: either I'm dead in a gutter somewhere, or I forgot my master password and can no longer access anything at all!  This should be reassuring to all of you: going forward, an abrupt, permanent cessation of Chris e-presence only means a 50-50 chance of the abrupt, permanent cessation of Chris himself.

Oh, also, mini-reviews, after break.

6-Star Reviews Part 164: Binky Pie

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

You read that title right!  All these years later, we've still got the (very) rare 6-star review trickling in.  Will there ever be another?  Well, EqD hasn't actually had ratings for years, and... um, if you look at the list of incomplete 6-star fics, you'll see that there's not much there beyond deadfics and, at a glance, at least three or four misfiled complete stories that I've already reviewed.  Still, who knows?  Maybe The Sweetie Chronicles will eventually finish, and I'll have the dubious joy of reviewing a million-word fanfic which can only be properly appreciated by someone who's read several million more words' worth of fanfic!  That... that'll be a fun day.

But that day is not today!  No, today is the day I review Miyajima's Binky Pie.  Check it out, below the break.

Just a lil' bit of schedulization...

Friday's post will be 24 hours late, because I'm pretty close to being done with a review of Binky Pie, and I don't want to use up another gap-post.

Spend the extra day getting hype!  Will this story enter illusive five-star company?  Or is Chris stringing you all along on a fic he's going to call "a trite, jejune waltz awkwardly danced in 4/4 time?"  Find out... soon!

Mini-Reviews Round 172

I'm home!  I used the long weekend to go visit my sister, and a friend from all the way back to my middle-school days who I still keep in touch with.  Good times were had, though at the expense of insufficient sleep.  Now that you're up to date on my personal blog stuff, let's get to the important bits: the reviewing!  My thoughts on some fics, below the break.

First Sentences In (Fan)Fiction the 19th

I've been out of town the last weekend, so I'm typing up the above-the-break blurb in advance, rather than the day before like I usually do.  So, if any major news broke in the last couple of days, just imagine my reaction to it up here, all right?  I'll confirm your suspicions when I get back.

But for now, let's talk about fic openings!  Get 'em below the break.

Fandom Classics Part 201: There, They're

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

Tomorrow's high is 60 degrees.  I mean... what?  It's February.  Sixty degrees usually doesn't come until May--sometimes late May.  This is wholly unnatural.

But I suppose there's no sense complaining about warm winters, at least unless the entire agricultural system collapses under the weight of these kinds of rapid environmental changes.  That would be a good reason to complain.  But it hasn't happened yet, so... hooray for jacket-less winters?  Yeah, let's go with that.  Then go below the break for my review of FanNotANerd's There, They're.

Mini-Reviews Round 171

Time continues to be a precious commodity this week; testing, now coupled with the rigours of getting kids ready for Valentine's Day (when many of them had never heard of Valentine's Day until they came to America!).  Well, that and catching up on Tom Hardy's Taboo.  Look, I've got to have some sources of entertainment outside of ponies, right?  Regardless, I did manage to put a couple more reviews together for you, my adoring public.  And a changeling edition, no less!  How... appropriate?  Whatever; check them out, below the break.

Reviewer Reviews: City of Doors

So, I finally got around to checking out the images of the new characters for the MLP movie, and... ugh.  I was actually feeling cautiously optimistic about the movie to this point, but if they're going to shunt the main six aside in order to follow the adventures of the worst OCs this side of Coldsteel the Hedgehog (without even the courtesy of doing it ironically; I mean, they literally have a red-and-black broken-horned unicorn wearing form-fitting go-go armour), but now I'm just hoping that it'll fall into the EqG/comics category of "can be safely ignored, if you'd prefer."

Oh, well.  I know what'll put me in a good mood: another round of reviewer reviews!  This time up it's Griffin (on FiMFic, Singularity Dream), best known for keeping up the Big Master Review List, and quite the prolific reviewer himself.

But is he any good?  I investigate, below the break.

Mini-Reviews Round 170

Ah, February: that magical time of year when young men's fancy turns to standardized testing.

...No?  Just me?  Okay then.  Well, just be grateful you're not working with Newcomers; in addition to the usual state-mandated testing, they also "get" to do an extra four-part standardized test designed specifically for English language learners every year.  Because nothing helps kids catch up on their language skills like taking extra time out to give them tests.  Can you tell this isn't my favorite thing in the world?

Oh well; those are the cards we're dealt.  So instead of bellyaching any further, let's get on with the mini-reviews!  Below the break, as always.

Fandom Classics Part 200: The Eagle Has Landed

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

I thought about doing something fancy for the 200th Fandom Classic post... but then I thought, "Hey, I didn't do anything fancy for the 100th review.  Why start now?"  Ah, inertia: you never steer me wrong (or anywhere at all).  So in that spirit, here's Just Another Fandom Classic Review.  My thoughts on Cyanblackstone's The Eagle Has Landed, below the break.

Hate-Reading Reviews

I spend most of my blogging energy on reviewing ponyfics, but sometimes I like to talk about other things.  But nothing too far removed from what is apparently my core competency--mostly, I talk about things that at least tangentially touch up against reviewing and/or fanfiction.

Such is the case today, when I'm going to talk about deliberately subjecting yourself to reviews which you know you'll disagree with!  Head down below the break for my thoughts on why we do, and why it's okay.

Fandom Classics Part 199: Statistics

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

We're now well into the part of winter where my lips are just one giant wad of chapped, bleeding unpleasantness.  Hourly applications of chapstick have minimal effect.  This is Chris at his least kissable.

You know, in case any of you were hoping to kiss your favorite reviewer anytime soon.  Give me another month or two, and you'll be happier.  No promise that I'll be any happier about strangers from the internet tracking me down IRL with the express intention of making out with me, but hey, one happy person is better than none, right?

...I've got no good segue for that.  Head below the break for my review of xTSGx's Statistics.