Greetings from Portland

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

Hi all. My name is Mary, this is probably the third or fourth time I've participated, and I'm excited to start granting some wishes. :)

1. Donate money to a charity, homeless shelter, or foodbank if you can. Some of my personal favorites are the Portland Women's Crisis Line, RAINN, Outside In, and Bradley Angle.

2. Consider making a donation to the feminist community center I volunteer at/coordinate events for - In Other Words. We're in the process of transitioning to a volunteer-led structure and trying to confront and deal with problematic behavior within the organization - covert ableism, transphobia, racism, etc. I feel like we're starting to make progress and becoming more worthy of people's donations and support. So please read up on the community and donate if you feel so inclined.

3. Quilt squares. I made a quilt for my sweetie last year and enjoyed the process, but where I had a specific plan for his quilt, I don't have any plan for my own. I would love to have it be bright and messy and unique. So make me a square, plain or embellished, of whatever size you'd like?

4. A Region 2 DVD copy of the film Velvet Goldmine. This is one of my favorite films and the US release of the DVD left off almost all of the bonus material. Thank you, starbrow!

5. A cricket bat. For the zombie apocalypse. Just in case. (If you really have a cricket bat to give away, I would be able to help with shipping.)

6. Zines. I haven't made one for awhile, but I love reading them and getting lost in other people's ideas and images.

7. Frida Kahlo: The Paintings by Hayden Herrera. I would love a hardback copy of this book. I studied painting in college and have love Frida's work for a long time.

8. Your favorite book. Tell me about and and why you love it. Send me a copy if you'd like. I don't care. I just like learning about new books to read and why people enjoy them.

9. A necklace from Surlyramics. I've wanted one of these for a long time, but it's one of those purchases where I can't seem to buy for myself. (You could surprise me or ask for my opinion on one.)

10. Give someone you care about a backrub (or footrub). I'm roughly 95% sure that they'll appreciate it. ♥

My email is x.saryn.x@gmail.com

Thanks for your time and have a happy season!

Comments

[heatherenchantd.livejournal.com]

I can grant #3. :) I'll message you!

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

Awesome! :D

[memoryanddream.livejournal.com]

One of my favorite books is The Tao of Pooh (http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477/). It's an amazing little book that's insightful and simple but brilliant. If you've not yet read it, do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Have a beautiful holiday season!

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation! I've been hearing about that book for years and still haven't read it. I'll try to get to it now. :)

[dementia.livejournal.com]

My favorite book that has blown me away in the past year is Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Was recommended to my be a Barnes & Noble employee and it has quickly become of my my favorites. So rarely has a novel really enrapt me in a world of mystery and intrigue and really immserse me in a Gothic setting like Spain...

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, gothic. Thanks for the recommendation! :)

[jeesh.livejournal.com]

My fiance and I complete #10 all the time. I give good back rubs and he gives AMAZING foot rubs.
I shall give him a great back run in your honor :)

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I've live far away from my sweetie, so backrubs, etc. aren't something I get to partake of often.

[valkeakuulas.livejournal.com]

Regarding number 2, I appreciate your work. I'm from Helsinki, Finland, so I'd like to participate in a feminist organization here - but somehow it all seems very unorganized :(

If you find them anywhere, I'd recommend Monika Fagerholm's books The American Girl and The Glitter Scene. They're Finnish novels, I've read them several times and still love especially the former one.

[poeticgoddss.livejournal.com]

I cannot send my favorite book, but I would very much like to send you a card with the story of it, and how it changed my life, and the lifetime of things that came from it having been read 16 years ago. Honestly, this may be my favorite wish to grant...and it might be mildly selfish...lol...can you send me your address to pueriledreams@gmail.com with "favorite book" as the subject and I shall take you on a journey through growing up that, given the volunteer work you do, may appeal to you.

[annabtg.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you'll like it, but one of my favourite books is "Le maître de forges" (The Ironmaster, or Love and Pride) by Georges Ohnet. It's a book that describes a love story in France of the 1800's. I love not only the story itself, but also the language of the books, the descriptions and the feeling of Old France. The copy I own belonged to my mom and my grandmother gave it to me, so it has a sentimental value as well.

I found a link for it here, if you're interested: http://www.onread.com/book/the-ironmaster-or-love-and-pride-100934/

Happy holidays! :)

[twilight2000.livejournal.com]

One of my FAVES is Foreigner by CJ Cherryh - I will warn you, it's brilliant, addictive and has 4 trilogies in the set :>. Best First Contact books EVER (straight up sci fi ;>).

(see pics of two major characters in the icon - he's blond, 6ft and TINY compared to the native adults ;>. SHE is a Force Of Nature - as most grandmothers are ;>)

[darkertime.livejournal.com]

One of my favorite books is The Historian. It's a really fat book but a great Dracula related story!
Another favorite is Autobiography of a Geisha - because it's an autobiography written by a actual geisha and it's an interesting read.

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

Upon reading this comment, I finally started reading The Historian. I'm loving it so far, even though I'm only 200 pages in. Thanks for being the catalyst for my finally reading it. ;)

[darkertime.livejournal.com]

it's a good book and even though it has one "dry" part with a lot of boring details, it's still pretty damn good :)

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

What do you consider to be the "dry" part? I'm just curious. ;)

[catbirdgirl.livejournal.com]

Cory Doctorow gives away one of my favorite books for free online. Its very much about civil liberties, and it's YA but not dumbed down at ALL. It's called Little Brother

http://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/

#8

[emily-goddess.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's my favorite book, but I recently read Mary Doria Russel's The Sparrow and I've been recommending it to everybody.


I believe in giving trigger warnings, but it's also a spoiler, so stop reading now if you don't want it spoiled: the book deals with rape.

Re: #8

[emily-goddess.livejournal.com]

Whoops, forgot the other part of that wish.

I'm generally a fan of sci-fi anyway, especially the kind dealing with alien cultures, and The Sparrow is excellent in that regard. The aliens are close enough to humans to make the characters more like anthropologists than exobiologists, which may not be very realistic, but it makes the story work. And there is a little bit of biological speculation thrown in there. There's quite a bit of linguistics nerdery, too. And the characters are all very compelling and memorable.

But all that is really just the world in which the story happens. The main story is about Emilio Sandoz, Jesuit priest, his journey to faith and the Church, and his recovery from a trauma that shattered his faith and with it, his identity. It's extremely moving.

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

I can do #4 - sending you an email.

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. ♥

[whuffle.livejournal.com]

I've got a ton of quilting fabric I'm trying really hard to get rid of. I'd be happy to send you a box stuffed full if you'll pay flat rate shipping on it. I'd cover cost myself but I'm so broke at the moment that I don't have enough to pay for coffee, much less shipping.

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

That would probably work. I need to get paid again, first (which will be on the 9th).

#7

[said-by-me.livejournal.com]

I have this book if this is a Frida book you do not already have. Let me know!

Re: #7

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

I do not have it, but covet it very much! :D

Re: #7

[said-by-me.livejournal.com]

I am a dork sorry

Let me try this again...

I have this Frida book http://www.amazon.com/Frida-Kahlo-1907-1954-Pain-Passion/dp/0760736065/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

if you would like it

Re: #7

[glam-jam.livejournal.com]

Still interested. ;)

I have a biography of her, but nothing with good images of her paintings. Taschen books are usually pretty awesome, though.

I'll PM you my address?

Re: #7

[said-by-me.livejournal.com]

Cool!

I'll try to get it out Friday :)

Happy holidays!!

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

I will be granting #1 - just need to decide how much to donate to which group. (Definitely RAINN and a food bank, possibly also PWCL.)

[anjak-j.livejournal.com]

I gave a donation to Women's Aid in the UK, if that works for #1..?

One series of books I've recently gotten into that I really enjoy are M.J. Trow's 'Maxwell' books. They are detective stories, just in case you aren't into that kind of thing. I'm afraid I don't have one lying around that I could send you - I've borrowed the ones I've read from a friend.