Month: October 2022

Leilani’s Report Card for October

Merry Samhain and Happy Halloween! I went a little nuts with dog outfits this month, as the weather turned sharply cold and Leilani is still sporting her summer haircut. She’s not a fan of pajamas (having her back legs in sleeves), but she’s getting better about letting me put her in clothes with minimal fuss. This month’s adventures We did public access trips almost every day this month, with mixed results (but frequent exposure is good, to reduce the novelty of it). Including a neighborhood block party (where she did so well, I nearly cried). We went to Johnson’s Orchards […]

Posted October 31, 2022 by bethwyrm in Life Update / 0 Comments

Fire and Ice by Robert Oster

The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen. Specs Name: Fire and Ice Maker: Robert Oster Color Family: Blue Properties: Sheening, Shimmering, Shading (low) Purchased at: Goulet Pens What’s in a name? I couldn’t find anything definitive, but I assume the name came from the contrast between the red/pink sheen in this ink and it’s base blue (with slight green undertone) hue. Swatches A large swatch of ink showcases the darkest this ink gets, as well as the maximum properties it has (when held at the right angle to […]

Posted October 29, 2022 by bethwyrm in Fountain Pens / 2 Comments

Midcentury Cocktails by Cecelia Tichi

Credibility/Research: 7, the book feels trustworthy, though it doesn’t cite many references beyond publications it quotes from. It certainly comes across as thorough, and I suppose the cocktail recipes themselves came from direct sources, but it would’ve been nice to have that confirmed for the sake of understanding the 1960s palate for alcohol (which seems to trend toward sweet orange liqueurs as mixers). Authenticity/Uniqueness: 8, presenting history alongside the boozey beverages consumed during that era is not a wholly unique concept, but this is the first time I’ve encountered one aimed fully at the midcentury years (not a specialty niche […]

Posted October 28, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 0 Comments

Alexander Hamilton by De Atramentis

The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen. Specs Name: Alexander Hamilton Maker: De Atramentis Color Family: Purple Properties: Shading (low), Sheening (low) Purchased at: Goulet Pens What’s in a name? De Atramentis says nothing about why this ink was so named, but I’ve read that this ink was originally named for its hue (Aubergine) and then re-branded with our sexy founding father, after the popularity of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical revitalized interest in American history. I don’t know if that’s true, either. I really wish there was […]

Posted October 26, 2022 by bethwyrm in Fountain Pens / 0 Comments

Clear Ur Sht Readathon 2022

Clear Ur Sht is back! This story-based readathon kick-started my TBR last December and I fell in love with the zest and creativity of it. This year the story continues, from 1 November to 31st December! The story continues as we’re stuck in the stacks and are trying to find our way home (and get Narrator paid). Prompts Considering it’s two months long this year, but I’ll be in Disney World (thus not reading anything) for a little over a week of that time, I doubled up prompts until I got to 12, which feels doable. Especially considering the Giant’s […]

Posted October 24, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Challenge / 0 Comments

Kon-Peki by Pilot Iroshizuku

The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen. Specs Name: Kon-Peki Maker: Pilot Iroshizuku Color Family: Blue Properties: Shading Purchased at: Goulet Pens What’s in a name? Kon-Peki means “azure” in Japanese (紺碧), which is a fitting name for this deep cerulean hue of ink. Swatches A large swatch of ink showcases the darkest this ink gets, as well as the maximum properties it has (when held at the right angle to show any shimmer or sheen). But what about when you’re writing a letter or notes with it? The […]

Posted October 22, 2022 by bethwyrm in Fountain Pens / 0 Comments

Letalis by Rishika Porandla

Characters: 5, well I definitely didn’t find them lovable, but then, I was not meant to. Antares is the closest to human, I think. Eris and Ceres both unleash hurt onto other people in order to live with the weight of their magic. Ceres apparently has no moral compass nor compassion; Eris conveniently loses hers in favor of bitter jealousy, for two days. But mostly the characters are one-dimensional and revolve around their defining tragedy. Atmosphere: 4, I couldn’t really picture much aside from stark details: Solarians have platinum hair and brown skin, Sun District has a desert near it […]

Posted October 21, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 2 Comments

Gratitude by Monteverde

The above photo was taken in direct sunlight. Ink is swatched on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, using a glass dip pen. Specs Name: Gratitude Maker: Monteverde Color Family: Purple Properties: Shading Purchased at: Atlas Stationers What’s in a name? Part of the Emotions collection, this magenta is meant to represent emotional balance, helping to create harmony, happiness, and gratitude in every aspect of daily life- whether it’s physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. When in the company of magenta, most people feel optimistic, content, and appreciative of what they have acquired and achieved in life. Swatches A large swatch of ink showcases the […]

Posted October 19, 2022 by bethwyrm in Fountain Pens / 0 Comments

Intro to Fountain Pen Paper

I have posted a lot (a lot) about fountain pen inks in my collection, and even about how fountain pens work and the different nibs and whatnot. But I haven’t gotten into the other key component of writing with a fountain pen: paper. While you can use any ol’ paper to write with, untreated paper is more likely to feather, bleed and not show any special properties of the ink. This is because untreated plain paper is absorbent. It sucks the ink into it, which, if you’re using a broad nib or a wet ink, can make for an unreadable […]

Posted October 17, 2022 by bethwyrm in Fountain Pens / 0 Comments

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

Characters: 8, from Kara to Simon to Uncle Earl, each character was unique, with their own drives and concerns. Kara was the most fully developed, which makes sense as this book (while it did have a bit of character development) was plot-driven. As horror stories are. But I could definitely describe each character. Atmosphere: 10, I had a pretty solid, three-dimensional sense for both The Wonder Museum and the willow world. And all the things in both. I was pretty fully immersed while reading, which is what you want with a creepy horror story. Writing: 9, I found the prose […]

Posted October 16, 2022 by bethwyrm in Book Review / 2 Comments