Title: The Westing Game (Amazon, Goodreads)
Author: Ellen Raskin (Amazon, Goodreads)
Series: None
Publisher: Puffin
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased from Half-Price Books

Synopsis:

When an eccentric millionaire dies mysteriously, 16 very unlikely people are gathered together for the reading of the will–and what a will it is.

Review:

I read this as a child and was recently reminded of it.  I sought out a good condition used copy for my collection as it is definitely a book I want my children to read.  I’ve read this so many times, you’d think I would remember who the murderer is and how it was done, but even with this read, some things were familiar, but it was still a surprise in the end.

This is a good mystery with some unique characters and an interesting set of circumstances surrounding their arrival at Sunset Towers.  It reminds me of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie which is also an excellent mystery.

If you read this as a child, re-read it.  If you haven’t read it yet, pick it up.  I re-read it in an evening and it is well worth your time.

Title: Bumped (Amazon, Goodreads)
Author: Megan McCafferty (Amazon, Goodreads, Website)
Series: Bumped
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian Fiction
Format: Kindle E-Book
Source: NetGalley

Synopsis:

WHEN A VIRUS makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents must pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they search for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

Review:

I pushed myself and managed to finish this one, but it was definitely a struggle.  I can’t honestly recommend this book to anyone and I certainly wouldn’t consider it good for young adults.  This country faces an enormous problem of teenage pregnancy and unplanned babies.  Yes, I do understand the genre is dystopian, but I believe the message teens would come away with is more pro-teen pregnancy than not.  It seems as though (Author) is heading in that direction in the sequel to this, but I will never know as I do not plan to read it or any other books by her for that matter.  The writing itself isn’t horrible, but it’s filled with made up slang and it seems the only thing on the minds of these girls is sex and who is going to get pregnant.

(Author) does a good deal of development and change with the two main characters, but it’s not until the very last part of the book that you really see the dilemmas Melody and Harmony are facing.  With the flipping back and forth between perspectives of two twins, it would have been beneficial for (Author) to make their names a little less interchangeable.  I found it hard to remember which twin was narrating and there aren’t a lot of clues in the chapters to help.

Overall, the writing lacked some much-needed development, the characters needed to be more different from each other, and the overall story could have used a little more dystopian feel to it.  This was much, much too bright and bubbly for a dystopian novel where teen pregnancy is a must due to a virus (more background on that would have helped the story as well) and the future of the human race is dependent on teens procreation before they are affected by the virus.

Title: Slipping Reality (Amazon, Goodreads)
Author:  Emily Beaver (Goodreads, Website)
Series: None
Publisher: Authorhouse
Genre: Young Adult
Format: Kindle E-Book
Source: NetGalley

Synopsis:

In a time of hardship and heartbreak, sometimes, reality just isn’t enough. Slipping Reality is the story of fourteen-year-old Katelyn Emerson, who, when faced with the glaring reality of her brother’s illness, rebels against the truth by slipping away into the depths of her own imagination. There, she finds the kind of support and comfort she feels she deserves. There, she does not have to feel so alone. And yet, as Katelyn’s grasp on reality begins to unravel, so too does the story of a girl who grew up too fast and fell apart too soon. Emily Beaver’s debut novel is a coming of age story that deals with the trials of young grief, insight, and growth where it’s least expected.

Review:

It took me longer than planned to read this book, but sometimes life gets in the way.  For Emily Beaver, and her character, Katelyn, life got in the way of her normal life as well.  The story is told from a young girl’s perspective as she deals with the finality of her brother’s battle with cancer.  She finds escape in her imagination, although at times, her fiction is so believable, you begin to wonder what’s real and what’s not.  Beaver’s writing is amazing, but you don’t discover that until you are well into the book.  The beginning of the book goes back and forth between reality and imagination so much that it’s hard to keep track of where you are and what’s happening.  I think with a little editing this could have been fixed up.  Once the baseline of the story is set though, you are drawn into a world that allows Katelyn to deal with the anxiety and issues she has related to her brother and best friend dying.

There are a lot of raw emotions in this book, and it’s hard not to feel for both the character and the author.  At the end of the book, there is a note from the author detailing how she came to write this story about her struggles with her brother’s death at a young age from cancer.  The beginning of the book is clearly written by a 14 year-old, but you can see her writing blossom as she develops the story.  I am excited to see what comes from her in the future.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one, or is dealing with the loss of a loved one to cancer.  I would also recommend this to teens who are dealing with a loss of any kind.  I know reading similarly themed stories as a young adult helped me through some hard times and I know I would have read this had it been released all those years ago.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

Of the 500+ pictures I took between Tuesday and now, I have around 30 worth keeping.  I haven’t edited any of them and some will only call for a little cropping, but here they are:  (Click on the thumbnail to see a larger version.)

I’m still working out the action shots, but I have to say I’ve caught some great shots of the boys and a friend’s guinea pig.  This weekend I plan to get out and try taking some shots at the park and downtown.

My final project was mounted on a presentation board and looked very good, but I didn’t remember to take a picture before turning it in.  Therefore, you get to see a final Illustrator document and not the full presentation, but it will serve the purpose.

I’m actually enjoying the way this class makes me think.  Our next project is with negative and positive space which I’m looking forward to as well.

If I write so it’s understood by all, I cannot use words that would better express my thoughts nor can I add to my reader’s vocabulary thereby improving them as well. I know that sometimes I need to consider my audience a little more, especially for work purposes when I communicate across cultures. However, for this blog, my audience is composed of other avid or aspiring readers. I assume that they are as intrigued to discover new words and their meanings as I am.

I also enjoy searching for a new word I’ve come across in my reading and discovering the meaning and the usage of words. A quick search online will often take me to a site where I can learn more about a topic related to what I’m reading and how that particular word conveyed the meaning the author intended much more vividly than a more common word.

I hear many things said about our educational system in the United States and especially here in Texas. If we are simplifying our words and not encouraging our youth and adults to be intellectuals, then aren’t we contributing to the problem? A quick look at the popular books of today and you can see a serious decline in writing. Take for instance the Sookie Stackhouse series which in my humble opinion isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. Yes, I have read one and tried to read a second, but I couldn’t get past the juvenile style of writing. Another example that comes to mind is the Twilight series which has spawned a following unlike we’ve seen but it isn’t the writing that caused it. These two series do not challenge the reader and can be likened to the trashy romance novels our mothers and grandmothers read. What happened to a challenging literary read?

Unless you are on the Honors track in school, most students aren’t exposed to Shakespeare or Faulkner or other great literary masters. We are not growing intellectually nor are we challenging our youth to think outside the box. We are teaching that education is merely a method of obtaining a better job. Through standardized testing and the ever-increasing ‘dumbing down’ of our media, we are seriously hurting our future.

To bring this to conclusion, while my word choices and writing will continue to improve, I will not ‘dumb’ down my writing. I will not choose words that are easier to understand by all. If I write something that prompts someone to Google a word then I have added to their education, their cultural capital, and enriched their lives.

Today is day 1 of Whole 30 Take 2!

While all those things above are wonderful, better energy, feeling healthier, not starving, etc. I compared my measurements today to what I took on December 1st.  I should have taken measurements on January 1st as well, but from here on out, I think monthly will be a good way to track my progress.

Stats:

That’s 11 lbs and just over 7 inches lost.  I know most of the loss happened in the past 5 weeks since that’s when my clothes started looking better and the compliments started to come in.  People are noticing the changes almost as much as I am.  Although until I ran the numbers, I didn’t know it was that much.

As for my other goals, school is in full swing and I will be posting a look at my first graphic design project which was turned in on Tuesday.  Overall, it’s going very well, and some of the classes are prompting me to think and to write these thoughts.  Check out tomorrow’s OpEd for more on this.

Who else is going to BEA/BBC?  I’d like to meet some of you in person and maybe get together for dinner one night while we are there if anyone is up for it.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

The original PC version was quite a challenge, and I found the same to be true of the Xbox 360 version for the sequel.  I like that there is a progression through the tools/abilities so that it’s not overwhelming trying to remember what button does what from the start.  It builds up in skill and while there were definitely some trying times, I never wanted to throw the controller down and give up.

The graphics as you can see in a quick search are amazing as well.  In particular, I loved the Veil of Tears and the Hatter’s Domain.  Both are filled with wonderful detail and gorgeous scenes.  Characters that you met in the first are back in the second, and I was happy to revisit some of these intriguing creatures.  Along with some new ones, this game has a bit of everything.

Overall I would say the graphics are much more interesting than the game itself, but I believe that is because while it’s a newer spin on the story, it’s still the same story heard time and again.  The graphics are beautiful and at times can distract you from the game as you gaze around in wonder through Alice’s eyes.  But don’t look around too long or you might find yourself lost or facing a horde of merciless creatures out to attack you.

One last thing that I really enjoyed was the pepper grinder weapon.  That is truly a whimsical yet perfect weapon for this mysterious world.

Two thumbs up for the people at EA.  You did a great job, and I would love to see you do something as great as this with another childhood story.

Title: Werewolf Descent (Amazon, Goodreads)
Author: Elizabeth J. Kolodziej (Amazon, Goodreads, Website)
Series: The Last Witch Series
Publisher: Third Broom on the Left Press
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback
Source: Review copy provided by author

Synopsis:

Last witch in the world, Faith Scott, and her Irish vampire boyfriend Trent have just come back from fighting for their lives to recover the Vampiric Blood gem and Werewolf Moon gem. Thinking they could finally relax and work on the romance growing between them, they now meet a mysterious psychic vampire named Vincent who has his heart set on being with Faith.

Soon bizarre killings of Zou Tai’s werewolf pack begin, with rumors of an alchemist possessing the famed philosophers stone being the assailant; which, causes Faith to turn to Vincent for help in figuring out why the werewolves are being murdered.

It isn’t long before all those around them test Trent and Faith’s love, along with their abilities, once again. It is all Trent can do to keep Faith safe by his side while both go up against a pissed off alchemist, deceptive gods, and having to rescue the werewolf prince; yet, after a deal with the God of Werewolves will Trent be able to save himself too?

Review:

An interesting sequel to Vampyre Kisses, but disappointing overall.  The first book took a new twist on the vampire/girl relationship we’ve all become so fond of, but this one seemed is more about how Faith must choose between one of two very different vampires or a werewolf, or any other random male character thrown into the mix.  Difficult as it is to not fall in love with Trent, throughout this second book, I found myself disliking Faith more and more and feeling that he might be better off without her.  Sometimes you can’t help who you fall in love with, and the Trent/Faith relationship is one of those instances.  I’m not saying she should be a woe-is-me, I can’t do anything without my boyfriend by my side characters that have overwhelmed the genre, but she goes from being a good girlfriend to taking what she has with Trent for granted when faced with Zou Tai and Vincent throughout the second book.

The twist at the end, while noble and expected of Trent, was by far the most troubling part of this series.  I can’t say I would have liked it more if the author had changed it around so things happen differently, but I do know that I don’t see a reason to read the next in the series when it arrives.  I know should the description even hint at a possible change in the way things are left at the end I will pick up the third to see what happens, but that puts a lot of pressure on the short teaser.

The writing certainly improved from the first book to the second and I found the plot is much less jumbled than the first, but there was a lot going on in a short amount of time and space.  At times, I felt there could have been some action taken out and some reflection or added descriptions of the scenes added to help pace the story better.

Despite my sadness on the outcome of the main plot twist, I do not regret reading this book and did enjoy it to some extent, however, I know this is not one that I will want to re-read.

As the semester goes on, school work is increasing, my day job responsibilities have and will continue to grow, and my personal time is dwindling.  I’ve thought a lot about putting the blog on hold for a while and maybe picking it back up again once I get a better schedule figured out.  The hardest part of that decision is that I really enjoy blogging.  I like to read the variety of books this blog has put in front of my face, the wonderful people in the blogging realm and the publishing world that I’ve met, and I think if I give it up, even for a short time, it will be taking away a part of me I’m really happy with.  I know a lot of this thought process comes from me not being able to get myself to sit down and write a review, but after work and classes in front of a screen, I really just want a break.

I’m sure I’ll get caught back up and on the road to happiness again in all aspects of my life, but for now, something needs to change.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

How did this happen?  Well in part because those for this adjustment of copyright law were backed by those that are also backing SOPA and PIPA.  The music industry, the movie industry, and large corporations are all pushing to protect their money.  I’m fine with copyright as it existed before this decision.  I understand copyright and agree with it.  If I create something and someone uses it without my permission to make a profit, then yes, by all means I will enforce my rights as the owner of said property.  But when something that has been under public domain for years past the original copyright time frame suddenly goes from being public domain back to being protected, that is something I do not agree with.

Education in this country is appalling at best and through Google, libraries, and the Gutenberg Project, many of those works that would not otherwise be available to students of all ages, are now readily available.  Changing the availability of these works so that more people can experience and enjoy them increases our populations cultural capital.  Why should we let that be taken away?  We are up in arms over the Internet being monitored and controlled, but we are letting the smaller issues slide by without so much as a second thought.

If the people have their rights taken away in a big way, people notice immediately and cause an uproar, but when it’s taken piece by piece over time, do we notice?  What can we do about it then when we become use to the things as they are?  It’s only a little thing we lost right?  People will say it doesn’t matter.  But in the end, if we aren’t aware of these little things and fight them with as much vehemence as we fight larger things like SOPA/PIPA we will all end up losing more in the end.

I went to a CrossFit workout to try it out, and while I think if I get motivated enough to commit to a workout, this would be the way to go, I don’t think I’m quite there yet.  I was so sore for three-four days afterwards.  I think if I just keep walking more and get back to riding my bike I’ll be good to go.

Classes are in full swing, and so far I like my teachers.  I am definitely going to be busy this semester, but I am looking forward to the challenge.  The classes are hybrids which means I only have to go to class one day a week per class, but it also means there is more work to be done outside of class.  I managed to get my desktop pc working to the point where it will run Photoshop and hopefully when life slows down it’ll also run the Sims 3 as I’d like to play that some as well someday.

In other news, the BookExpo is accepting registrations for the upcoming June event.  I signed up for that and expect to be able to get my spot at the Book Blogger Con shortly as well.  BlogWorld is going to be there at the same time again this year, so it’s looking like another whirlwind week in NYC.

And finally, I had a checkup with the doctor and since my last weigh in 5 weeks ago put me in at 249.  This week, I was down to 238.  11 lbs in 5 weeks!  This is by far the best result of my changes, and people are starting to notice.  I started to notice myself when pants I couldn’t wear anymore have now started fitting.  If nothing else is good motivation, this certainly is it.  I plan to get my butt in gear and really work at this.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

Title: The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man (Amazon, Goodreads)
Author: Mark Hodder (Amazon, Goodreads)
Series: Burton and Swinburne
Publisher: Pyr
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: Paperback
Source: Received review copy from publisher.

Synopsis:

It is 1862, though not the 1862 it should be…

Time has been altered, and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the king’s agent, is one of the few people who know that the world is now careening along a very different course from that which Destiny intended.

When a clockwork-powered man of brass is found abandoned in Trafalgar Square, Burton and his assistant, the wayward poet Algernon Swinburne, find themselves on the trail of the stolen Garnier Collection—black diamonds rumored to be fragments of the Lemurian Eye of Naga, a meteorite that fell to Earth in prehistoric times.

His investigation leads to involvement with the media sensation of the age: the Tichborne Claimant, a man who insists that he’s the long lost heir to the cursed Tichborne estate. Monstrous, bloated, and monosyllabic, he’s not the aristocratic Sir Roger Tichborne known to everyone, yet the working classes come out in force to support him. They are soon rioting through the streets of London, as mysterious steam wraiths incite all-out class warfare.

From a haunted mansion to the Bedlam madhouse, from South America to Australia, from séances to a secret labyrinth, Burton struggles with shadowy opponents and his own inner demons, meeting along the way the philosopher Herbert Spencer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Florence Nightingale, and Charles Doyle (father of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).

Can the king’s agent expose a plot that threatens to rip the British Empire apart, leading to an international conflict the like of which the world has never seen? And what part does the clockwork man have to play?

Burton and Swinburne’s second adventure—The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man—is filled with eccentric steam-driven technology, grotesque characters, and a deepening mystery that pushes forward the three-volume story arc begun in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack.

Synopsis:

Hodder recently won the Phillip K. Dick Award for the first in this series, The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack, and it is no wonder that this is a worthy follow-up to the first book.  The story continues the tale of Sir Francis Burton, and his pals, as they become involved in the mysterious missing diamonds.  The title character, one Clockwork Man, starts off this adventure, but other than a bit part, he doesn’t play too heavily into the story.  This is something I would have liked to see change.  However, Hodder’s skill at drawing a reader in to the story allows you to quickly forget that this isn’t the story you thought it was going to be.  It is all the better for that.

The events of the first book have changed things in Burton’s England when this story picks up and Hodder delicately weaves the two together into one wonderful story.  I can only hope the third in the series, which recently arrived on my doorstep, will round out this threesome into a wonderfully intriguing tale.  Reminiscent of a Wilkie Collins mystery or a good Sherlock Holmes story, even if you are not a huge fan of steam punk, these are books worth reading.  Hodder brings the world of Burton and Swinburne to life through the use of illuminating descriptions, and famous and infamous names from history, which only draw you deeper and deeper into his world.

Hodder leaves the second book at the perfect point.  I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the third in the series, and I believe that Hodder’s ability to weave the three independent stories together so that they are at once their own book, and part of a whole makes this series one of the best I’ve read in a while.

Synopsis:

There is no such place as Krassnia. Lucy Stone should know — she was born there. In that tiny, troubled region of the former Soviet Union, revolution is brewing. Its organisers need a safe place to meet, and where better than the virtual spaces of an online game? Lucy, who works for a start-up games company in Edinburgh, has a project that almost seems made for the job: its original inspiration came from The Krassniad — an epic tale, based on Krassnian folklore, concocted by Lucy’s mother who studied there in the 1980s. As Lucy digs up details about her birthplace to slot into the game, she finds her interest in the open secrets of her family’s past — and the darker secrets of Krassnia’s — has not gone unnoticed. When a Russian — Georgian border war breaks out, Lucy has to move fast — and return to Krassnia herself, to the heart of the mountain that holds Krassnia’s darkest and oldest secret. But nothing Lucy has discovered can possibly prepare her for the crucial role she is destined to play in The Restoration Game …

Review:

I’ve heard many good things about MacLeod, and so I was interested in this book before I really knew what it was about.  When it arrived, it was put on the pile, and eventually I pulled it out to read.  I can honestly say it was interesting, but not in the least what I was expecting. Marketed as a science fiction book, but for the 5% (and that’s being generous) that is lite science fiction, I don’t think it should be considered as such.  It’s more of a political thriller and focuses on the personal journey of the main character, Lucy.  She is taken from her safe world working for a computer gaming company and thrown into the world of intrigue her mother and possible fathers are involved in.  The possible fathers sub-plot is thrown in there, I think, to add some depth to the story, but mostly I found it confusing in a is he or isn’t he kind of way.

I think this story would have held more interest for me if it had focused more on the science fiction points that are brought up towards the end.  MacLeod delivers some serious ides to mull over in your head awhile and perhaps even to analyze over a cup of coffee with your more ‘what if’ analytical friends, but they are thrown in almost as an after thought.  With a little more development of those ideas, and a little less political this and that, this story could have been a great story.  As it is though, I find it hard to recommend it to anyone who is not already a fan of MacLeod.  This will not stop me from trying another of his books, but until I read another, I don’t want to possibly turn people from him if this is not a good example of his abilities.

In addition to the regular bills, here’s what I spent:

Gas: $40; $20 in each car

Dining: $24 at Kerbey Lane, and $22 at Alamo Drafthouse

Entertainment: $24 at Alamo Drafthouse

Grocery: $33

Textbooks: $23

Coffee: $5.25 (yes, I had a mocha, but only one this week and that seems like a good thing to me.)

With classes starting on Tuesday, I had already purchased (although I didn’t budget for them either) the required texts.  Then I received the syllabus for my Graphic Design course, and low and behold, it has required reading/questions in the text.  So I had to spend the last of my camera fund (which was depleted from the first round of textbook purchases) to get my last textbook.  Thankfully though I only had to spend $23 of my bank account to cover what the Amazon gift card balance didn’t.

So the camera fund is back to $0.

BUT the good news is, Amazon is finally sending me my seller account funds, so that will go into the camera fund.

Things coming up that are not in the budget: supplies for the Graphic Design course.

This week I also accomplished some of my goals for the year.  In a previous post I outlined them as:

1. Pay off student loan $400

2. Pay off car $3100 (if I can put a little extra towards it each month above my monthly payment, I should be able to pay it off before December.)

3. Pay off doctor bills $800 DONE! WOO HOO!

4. Pay off Avenue Credit Card $200  DONE! WOO HOO!

5. Pay of Amex $2000

I think I need to revamp my budget a bit, but so far, I’m staying within my guidelines and I’ve crossed two of the five goals for the year off.  C and I went out for a movie/dinner date to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie and I’m glad my entertainment budget went towards that this week.  It’s been a long time since we went out to a movie.

Synopsis:

The Hallows. Ancient artifacts imbued with a primal and deadly power. But are they protectors of this world, or the keys to its destruction?

A gruesome murder in London reveals a sinister plot to uncover a two-thousand-year-old secret.

For decades, the Keepers guarded these Hallows, keeping them safe and hidden and apart from each other. But now the Keepers are being brutally murdered, their prizes stolen, the ancient objects bathed in their blood. Now, only a few remain.

With her dying breath, one of the Keepers convinces Sarah Miller, a practical stranger, to deliver her Hallow—a broken sword with devastating powers—to her American nephew, Owen.
The duo quickly become suspects in a series of murders as they are chased by both the police and the sadistic Dark Man and his nubile mistress.

As Sarah and Owen search for the surviving Keepers, they unravel the deadly secret the Keepers were charged to protect. The mystery leads Sarah and Owen on a cat-and-mouse chase through England and Wales, and history itself, as they discover that the sword may be the only thing standing between the world… and a horror beyond imagining.

The Thirteen Hallows is the beginning of a spellbinding new saga, a thrilling tale of ancient magic and modern times by a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning playwright.

Review:

Let me start off by saying, if you read the 13 Tidbits about The Thirteen Hallows and didn’t run out to buy it, why not?  Hmm?  This is one that you will not only crave more, but you will want to share it with your friends as well.  I know the perfect person who will be getting this for their birthday if they haven’t already read it.

If you saw someone being attached, would you step in and help or turn the other way?  A chilling thriller, the story starts off with a young woman helping an elderly woman when she is attacked by two thugs.  Unbeknownst to her, she is now at the heart of a centuries old struggle to protect the Hallows of Britain.  Filled with beautiful details of the Hallows, and mixed in with some blood and gore, this has a bit of everything.  Those trying to gather the Hallows together are ruthless, and will stop at nothing to see their mission accomplished.  Yes, there is plenty to send shivers down your spine, but for an adult thriller, I don’t think the bloodshed is overdone.

Scott’s work may be better known for his young adult Alchemist series, but he’s going to have a large adult following as this series takes off.  As for Freedman, I haven’t read/seen any of her works yet, but she’s on my list of authors to get to know.

I highly recommend this book to any adult, and older teens.  This is a series that adults who loved Harry Potter will embrace for its fantasy and mystery elements and one you will want everyone you know to read as well.

A new adult novel from Michael Scott and Colette Freedman…

A week or so ago, C and I went to Fry’s to buy some items.  They weren’t big-ticket items, but as we were standing in line, we noticed they offered price matching.  I pulled out my trusty iPhone, booted up RedLaser and found that all three of the items we wanted to buy were cheaper elsewhere.  We stepped up to the counter to checkout, but no go.  To get the price match you had to go the department for each item and have them print you a page to get the price match.  Ok, we had time, so we wandered back to the departments, and spoke with their Customer Service person.  Instead of matching the price though, and they clearly don’t tell you this, we stood there for 20 minutes while they went to every site RedLaser showed, found the product, checked the price, and then found out how much it would cost with shipping.  Now had we bought all three from Amazon at the same time, at their prices, not only would we have gotten a better deal, but we would also get free shipping.  But Fry’s in their attempt to get out of real price matching, won’t put them all in the cart and check out.  It’s based on each item plus shipping.  Not really price matching is it?  It’s price and shipping matching.

I’ve shopped at Best Buy several times and used their price matching.  They look at the screen, see the price, and enter it into the computer along with the name of the place the price was matched.  Simple, and it’s done at the checkout.

Back to Fry’s, after the 20 minutes, with no luck finding any of the items at a lower price if it includes shipping, we walked out the door without purchasing anything.  For big-ticket items, this might be a good deal, but not for everyday purchases.  And with their lack of clear signage, you can waste time standing in line, and then going to each department to try to get the price matched, only to have to go stand in the checkout line again if you do choose to buy these items.

My biggest complaint is no one seemed to have any information on the price matching.  It wasn’t clear where you needed to go to get the price match, and given all the extra work the staff went through to try and match the price + shipping, not just the price, I find this to be an attempt to draw business under false pretenses.  They don’t actually match the price, but they can waste your time while they pretend they are trying to get you the best deal.

I was so happy to find a Fry’s in Austin when I moved here as I wasn’t near one before, however, given this incredible waste of time and lack of actual ‘price’ matching, I will now do my shopping elsewhere.  Have you encountered some shady ‘price’ matching tactics at other stores?  Did you end up buying the item or walking out?

I know I still need to work exercise into my routine since I’m well on the road to eating better.  I stopped by a crossfit gym which is nearby and within biking distance, and really liked what I saw/heard.  I am going to try to get up tomorrow morning for their 6 am class as they offer the first class free to see if you’ll like the workout, the trainers, etc.  I think I will, and while it’s a quite a bit more expensive than traditional gyms, I think in the end it will be worth it.  Only tomorrow will tell.

I received some emails from professors that the syllabus for my three hybrid classes has been posted, so I checked out what the workload for this semester.  I’m definitely going to be keeping busy.  I ordered the required textbooks today and should have them on Friday so I can get a jump-start on some of the work since classes are in full swing on Tuesday.

I’ve gotten my budget figured out as my Sunday posts have detailed.  I’m feeling pretty good about them, so I think it’s going to help me a lot in the long run.  Unfortunately, I didn’t plan any extra for my textbooks, so that had to come out of my camera fund.  It’s down quite a bit, but I’m expectant that future paychecks will help bring it back up.  I did manage to get some overtime last week, so all the money from that will be going to my camera.

How are you doing on your resolutions/goals for the year?

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

Title: Twilight Tales: A Collection of Chilling Poems (Goodreads)
Author: J. T. Holden (Goodreads)
Series: None
Publisher: Kuro Books
Genre: Poetry
Format: Paperback
Source: Review copy provided by publisher.

Synopsis:

From the critically acclaimed author of “Alice in Verse: The Lost Rhymes of Wonderland” comes a chilling collection of rhyming poetry perfect for Halloween…or any other dark and spooky night. From the creepy jingles of Shadows in Nursery and the eerie angst of The Darkening ‘Tweens to the malevolently poetic odes of Medieval Maladies and the sweeping chillers of The Epic Tales, J.T. Holden’s “Twilight Tales” offers a deliciously wicked mix of frightening fare!

Review:

I was so excited to learn about this book after reading Alice in Verse.  I contacted the publisher and they were kind enough to send along a copy to review.  When it arrived, I immediately read through it and then read it again.  Holden does another great job with some unique poems.  These are all very Halloween-ish and I really wish it had been out in time for Halloween.  However, I know this is one that I will re-read again around that time of year.

I’m not usually a fan of poetry, but Holden’s I will continue to read and I look forward to any more he has to offer.

Bonus: Here is the video trailer for the book.  If this doesn’t encourage you to buy this, I don’t know what will.

I’ve taken my known expenses i.e. rent, car payment, insurance, utilities, etc. and figured out how much I need to set aside in each paycheck to cover all of these.  I created a spreadsheet which outlines the total payments for a year and then divided that total by 26 as that’s how many paychecks I get each year.  This has given me a solid idea of how much I need to set aside each paycheck for these known costs.  In addition to that, I set aside a little bit for fun stuff, and a portion for savings, and the rest I am tracking what I’m spending it on.  So far this has been food, gas, and dog related supplies.

Hopefully after this month, I’ll have a better idea of what I’m spending as far as food and miscellaneous so that come February, I can figure out just how much I need for these and max out the rest to savings.

My goal of completing the Whole 30 has also helped in keeping my savings growing as I haven’t been eating out as much, and I’ve cut out the almost daily Starbucks run.

So let’s run down what I’ve spent this week:

$15 at the Climbing Gym for a day pass (friend’s birthday)

$20 at Fuddrucker’s

$5 at Starbucks (I broke the Whole 30 for a mocha yesterday and clearly not going to do that again as it kept me up till 4 am.)

$100 on groceries

$50 on dog food and chew bones

$75 towards my camera

All in all I haven’t spent much this week.  I did set aside the amount needed to cover half of my known expenses, and it feels good to know that while I have some savings, I also don’t have to worry about all my big expenses coming from one paycheck.  It gives me a little more breathing room even if there isn’t actually more money.

I’ve also set up a spreadsheet to track categories for each expense.  That way I’ll know a rough idea of how much I spend on entertainment or dining out or gas, etc.  That should allow me to get a better idea so I can budget that as well.

This year I plan to get my finances in check.

These are the things I want to accomplish this year:

1. Pay off student loan $400

2. Pay off car $3100 (if I can put a little extra towards it each month above my monthly payment, I should be able to pay it off before December.)

3. Pay off doctor bills $800

4. Pay off Avenue Credit Card $200

5. Pay of Amex $2000

I know that these are big goals, and they will take time, but between some side jobs and if I can get my spending in check and stick to my budget, I don’t see why I can’t get 3 of 5 completed and come close to the other two.  I expect I can do a good job on all of them.

As I am already close to saving enough for my camera, my reward for completing 3 of the 5 will be to take a trip.  I’m thinking Seattle, but it may just be a trip to see my family in December for the holidays.  We shall see.

Title: The Eternal Night (Amazon, Goodreads)
Author: Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan (Amazon, Goodreads)
Series: The Strain Trilogy
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Format: Hardcover
Source: Christmas Gift 2011

Synopsis:

Review:

This was a perfect conclusion to The Strain trilogy.  Yes, the ending was somewhat predictable, even from the conclusion of The Fall and through this book the conclusion was alluded to enough that you could figure it out.  However, even with that in mind, this was a fantastic book.

Yes, you should read the other two books leading up to the conclusion to get the back story and the motivation for the main characters, but they too are worth your time.  The others don’t move quite as fast, but this one certainly picks up the pace and draws you into the story until the very last page.

The vampires have taken over the world, and the humans are now the fodder for the masses.  These are not the vampires portrayed in the Twilight Series who sparkle in the sunlight, nor are they the upper crust of vampires from Anne Rice’s novels.  These vampires are one of the worst you will encounter.  In appearance, I would liken them to the ‘vampires’ encountered in the movie version of I Am Legend.  But even worse than the vampires are the humans who have aligned themselves with the vampires.  They spy and snitch on those that don’t follow the strict rules set out by the vampires, and on those few humans still resisting.

The characters introduced in the beginning as well as some new ones make an appearance as the final confrontation between Ephraim and the Master comes together.  Some will die and some will survive, but it’s all up to Ephraim and his dwindling resistance to rescue his son and hopefully conquer the Master once and for all.

While some scenes are somewhat graphic and gruesome, you have to remember this is a horror story about  horrific creatures hell-bent on taking over the world and farming humans.

This is one to read and as I’ve highly recommended the first two, I cannot do anything other than highly recommend this book as well.  This is a refreshing series to be included in the cannon of good vampire books.

While I haven’t had the issues that so many people have had with their bracelet, it doesn’t surprise me that Jawbone has since stopped making them while they work out the bugs.

I’ve heard better things about the FitBit and if I decided to invest in another device, I would probably give that a shot.

But aside from these negatives, I do have to say that the bracelet idea is really a nice touch.  I didn’t have to find it, figure out where it fell off my clothes, etc.  And while it is a little bulky, it doesn’t interfere with day-to-day tasks, it is water-resistant to 1 m and overall works quite well in that regard.

I’ve been eating according to the Whole 30 plan and while I know I could get a little more variety into my meals, I’m not craving the pasta or sugar that before constituted the majority of my diet.  I’ve eaten a ton of carrot-apple salad which I make with some added raisin and craisins for differing texture.  I’ve also cut the mayo down to just a 1/4 cup which for the 2 lbs of carrots and 1 lb of apples, doesn’t really make much difference except for a little extra flavoring.  I’ve also made some turkey breast, chicken breast, and picked up some mahi-mahi for dinner another night.  Tonight I topped slices of zucchini with sun-dried tomatoes, and a side of avocado.  Tasty!  I picked up some artichoke bruschetta topping too so that will make a nice addition to some zucchini or cucumber slices another night.

I do miss my mocha though.  That’s probably the one thing that was cut out that I will miss the most.  I just can’t drink black coffee, and since dairy and added sugar are out, including chocolate, mochas are on the no-no list for now.  Perhaps down the road they will make a comeback, but for now, if that’s the only thing I’m missing, I’m not too worried.

Classes are starting up in two weeks, and I am super excited about them.  I can’t wait to get back to classes and learning.  I didn’t realize just how much I enjoyed learning and classes in general until I went back last fall.  I also found out that I got a solid A for the class, so my current record is 4.0.  WOO HOO!

Exercise definitely hasn’t been at the top of my list this week, but I blame that on myself.  I somehow pinched something in my hip so I have pain shooting down my left leg, especially when I first get up in the morning making it painful to walk, never mind exercise.  I’m starting to not feel as bad and I think a change to my sleeping position may help that so I can get on track the end of this week.

I haven’t done much toward my blogging goals, but I did sit down today and work on my budget.  More of that on Sunday’s budget post.  Do you have a budget? What are some of the ways you stick to it?  How did you start?  I’ve read some interesting ideas to help with the savings part and I’m mulling over which of those I might incorporate into my plan.

The camera savings haven’t been added to, but that’s because my funds from some sales on Amazon haven’t been deposited yet.  By the time they come through, hopefully I’ll have sold a few more things and then I’ll have a good $100 to put towards the camera.  Slowly but surely I’m getting there.

Did you make any changes in the new year? How are you doing after a few days of them?

In other news, I found out today that my work load is going to increase as they feel I can handle more responsibility.  I am so happy this has come down the road, and I feel that this is going to increase my skills and make me more valuable to the company and my boss.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

Title: The Confession (Amazon, Goodreads)

Author: Charles Todd (Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: William Morrow

Series: Inspector Ian Rutledge Series

Format: Hardcover

Source: Received review copy from publisher.

Synopsis:

Title: The Demi-Monde: Winter (Amazon, Goodreads, Website)
Author: Rod Rees (Amazon, Goodreads, Website)
Genre: Fiction (Elements of Science Fiction, SteamPunk, Thriller, Historical Fiction, and other genres intermixed.)
Publisher: William Morrow
Series: The Demi-Monde Saga
Format: Hardcover
Source: Received from William Morrow for review.

The Demi-Monde:

1. A subclass of society whose members embrace a decadent lifestyle and evince loose morals.

2. A shadow world where the norms of civilized behavior have been abandoned.

3. A massive multiple-player simulation technology that re-creates in a wholly realistic cyber-milieu the threat-ambiance and no-warning aspects of a hi-intensity, deep-density, urban Asymmetric Warfare Environment.

4. Hell.

Welcome to the Demi-Monde, the ultimate in virtual reality—a military training ground and vivid, simulated world of cruelty and chaos run by psychopaths, madmen and fanatics.

If you die here, you die in the Real World …

In the year 2018, the Demi-Monde is the most sophisticated, complex and unpredictable computer simulation ever created, devised specifically to train soldiers for the nightmarish reality of urban warfare. A virtual world of eternal civil conflict, its thirty million inhabitants—“Dupes”—are ruled by cyber-duplicates of some of history’s cruelest tyrants: the fanatical Nazi butcher Reinhard Heydrich; Stalin’s arch executioner Lavrentii Beria; the torture-loving Grand Inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada; the Reign of Terror’s bloodthirsty mastermind Maximilien Robespierre.

But something has gone horribly wrong inside the Demi-Monde, and the U.S. president’s daughter, Norma, has been lured into this terrifying shadow world, only to be trapped there. Her last hope of rescue is Ella Thomas, an eighteen-year-old jazz singer and very reluctant heroine. But when Ella infiltrates the Demi-Monde and begins her hunt for Norma, she soon discovers the walls containing the evils of this simulated environment are dissolving—and the Real World is in far more danger than anyone knows. With the help of resistors determined to understand their world, Ella must race to save Norma and stop an apocalypse … but the clock is ticking.

Blending fact and fantasy, history and religion, military and existential themes, epic adventure and dark wit, dystopia and steampunk in a wholly original and driving narrative stream, The Demi-Monde: Winter is inventive fiction at its finest.

Review:

Two days, and I want more.  I read this book in two days flat and I cannot wait to get my hands on Spring.  Left at an excellent stopping point, both in keeping you wanting more, but not in that frustrating way where someone is on the edge of a cliff about to jump off and leaving you at a point where the story will certainly take a turn.  Don’t get me wrong, this is not an easy read, nor at 500+ pages is it a short book.  But it will drag you into Rees’ well-thought out and impressive world that is The Demi-Monde.  The program envelops the soldier, utterly and completely, and Rees draws the reader in until she becomes part of the Demi-Monde herself.

Rees has created an interesting if not the least bit terrifying virtual reality.  As described in the Product Description Manual (a copy is available for viewing on the book’s website) the world of the Demi-Monde is an heuristic alternate reality populated with duplicates “Dupes” of real world people alive in our world today.  Some of the more prominent ‘dupes’ have no real world counterpart alive today, but they are well-known figures from our most horrific events.  The first dupe Ella and the reader are introduced to is Reinhard Heydrich, engineer of the Nazi’s “Final Solution” and it certainly will chill you to the bone to see how accurate Rees has portrayed these villains of our past.

I could write a whole post on just the workings of the Demi-Monde and how well-thought out it is, especially after reading the PDM referenced above.  There are varying cultures, conflicting political agendas, isolationist religions, and many more stressors that have shaped our history each expressed throughout sections or the whole of the Demi-Monde creating a unique world always in upheaval and on the brink of war.  Clearly Rees spent significant time developing his world, and I can see why the series is in four parts, if Rees expects to cover half of what I think he will as the series progresses.  Thankfully, there is a wonderful website (linked at the top of this post) that will make you want to read the book if you haven’t, or increase your craving for the second book if you have.

As characters are revealed, you cannot help but spend some time Googling the names that pop up or the references to events.  I’m not history buff, but this definitely made me wonder just what the character had done in real life to warrant a doppelgänger in the Demi-Monde.  Many of these characters are very well-known while others are lesser known, but Rees weaves them all together into a very interesting cast of characters.  Aside from the random villainous singularities like Heydrich and Aleister Crowley, Shaka Zulu, and Empress Wu, there are the main protagonists: Ella, Norma, the president’s daughter, and Trixie Dashwood.  These three women are the focus of the first book in the Demi-Monde Saga.

Ella is brought in as part of “Operation Offbeat” to rescue Norma.  Somehow, unknown to the scientists and military men who created the Demi-Monde, Norma was brought into the Demi-Monde and has since been trapped.  Heydrich and the other singularities have gotten out of control, and the plan is to pull the plug, shutting the whole thing down despite the loss of life for a few soldiers still caught in the program, but they cannot do that until Norma is out.  As we have seen in our real world, the life of a soldier isn’t worth anything, but the life of the president’s daughter is worth more than 17 of them.  Rees really hits it on the head with some of his observations such as this one.  Another good example of this is how Ella, who is a smart, extremely attractive African-American woman, is able to distract even the toughest white supremacists out to capture her with her good looks and feminine whiles.  Yes, they should hate her so much that she cannot fool them, but there are plenty that while they claim to hate all African-Americans they can still be swayed by a pretty woman despite her skin color.  There are many examples of this through the book, and sometimes perhaps Rees uses Ella’s good looks to get her out of a situation that Rees wrote her into, but couldn’t figure out a more valid way to get her out.  However, that is a small detractor in what is otherwise a phenomenal book.  I look forward to seeing what the Demi-Monde has in store for Ella in Spring.

Norma is the president’s daughter who starts all of the trouble that has brings Ella, Norma, and Trixie together.  Norma is in the Demi-Monde, no one knows how or why, although they do allude to it a bit later in the book, and found out to be a Daemon.  She is captured and being held by Heydrich’s men and then taken to Trixie’s house in the hopes that Norma and Trixie will befriend each other allowing Trixie to get at the Daemon’s secrets.  Norma as expected turns out to be a holier than thou, whiny, emo, bitch.  I think I would have preferred her to be more like Ella and Trixie as strong female leads, but perhaps it would have been too crowded with three of them.  Thankfully for the most part, Norma, although the story revolves around rescuing her, doesn’t play much of a role throughout the book, only popping up here and there to let the reader into what is happening when she isn’t with Ella or Trixie.  Given the cliffhanger, I am curious to see how her character plays out in Spring.

Trixie Dashwood is quite a mutable character.  In the beginning she is a head-strong RaTionalist girl who is on the brink of being a huge trouble to her father.  She thinks for herself, and is always curious about the barrier that surrounds the Demi-Monde, how to get through it and what’s on the other side.  Admirable ambitions in a character, but once Trixie feels that all is lost, thinking her father dead, and doing all she can to revenge her father’s death, she becomes, as Ella notes, more like Heydrich.  Trixie goes from being a head-strong independent girl to a military leader out for blood.  It is an interesting transition, but Rees manages to show just enough of what drives Trixie to see how this change happens as she rises to become a leader and revenge becomes her main focus.

As these three characters grow and evolve, there is a host of supporting characters that add to the greatness of this book.  I hope that they continue on in the future books, as I would love to see how Rees develops them and their storylines.

As I indicated earlier, I could go on and on about this book.  There is so much to say about it, that a few paragraphs, even a few pages are not enough.  It is a tome, and at over 500 pages, it is not a light read, but it is a read that is well worth your time.  The plotlines tie together seamlessly, and it is a satisfying original read.

So what happened in 2011? I had over 4000 visitors to my site.  I know in some circles that isn’t a high number, but for me that’s respectable and I’m happy that so many of you decided to stop by and check out what I have to say.  I also added 161 new posts which is almost 3 posts a week on average.  Pretty good considering there were a few weeks in there where I didn’t post anything.  The blog is growing and my dedication to it continues to grow as well.  If you’d asked me when I started this blog on Blogger in 2009, I didn’t think it’d still be going strong almost 3 years later.

Outside of the blogging world, there were a lot of changes in 2011.  I changed jobs and am now happy to be working from home.  It was quite a transition, but I enjoy the freedom and flexibility it provides and it’s forced me to work on my time management skills.  I’ve even found time to go back to school and am working on my Technical Writing degree.  After I finish the Associates program at the local community college, I am planning to transfer to Arizona State’s online Bachelor’s program to complete my undergraduate degree.  From there who knows where I’ll end up, but there are a few good graduate programs in tech writing to consider as well.  This next semester starts in just a few weeks and I’m excited for my classes as they will also fuel my blogging passion as I learn.

Despite a few health issues, my two dogs have made it through another year, and I look forward to another fun-filled year with them in and around Austin.

And without my love, C, I couldn’t have had such an amazing and fantastic year.  I can’t wait to see what kind of mischief and mayhem we can get into in 2012.  I forced myself out of the house today to write a few posts for the week, and he encouraged me to do so as well.  Without him, I fear the blogging may have fallen by the wayside.  Thanks for all the encouragement and support.

But enough about 2011, what’s in store for 2012.

I’ve thought long and hard about what I wanted to accomplish this year both inside the realm of blogging and outside.

Blogging:

1. Post at least 5 days a week — now I have 7 days a week planned for the month of January, so hopefully I can stick with this and succeed.

2. Learn Photoshop — I’m taking a digital imaging class which will focus on PS and this will allow me to make some changes to the site.

3. Transition the blog to the new domain — I have maybe 50% of this done, and I want this one to be completed before BEA this year.

4. Comment and develop my network more — I am a lurker and I’m not ashamed to admit it, but I have met some wonderful bloggers both in Austin and other areas, and I would like to make a few more friends and not be so much of a lurker.

As for non-blog goals:

1. Start and finish the Whole 30 2012 Challenge -  I have looked into the paleo lifestyle and it fits with a lot of my current feelings/thoughts of what’s healthy and good for you.  Starting Jan. 2nd through the 31st, I will be challenging myself to stick with this and get on track to a healthier me.

2. Exercise — this is a big one for me.  I was doing well riding my bike last spring and early summer, but have fallen away from that.  This is going to change in 2012 and since the weather is now lovely I think I’m going to start this one today with an afternoon bike ride.

3. Save up and buy the Olympus PEN E-P3 — I have wanted a new camera for a while since my current Olympus is showing its wear and tear after 10 years of hard work.  I picked this out as it is a step up from my current model and will give me more flexibility to expand my photographic skills.  I have $385 saved and each paycheck I plan to put at least $50 towards it so that I can get it soon.

4. Add to my pups training — they know some basics, but I want to get them up to where they should be considering I used to train dogs for a living.

For 2012 I think those are reasonable goals for both blogging and life.  As a weekly check up, each Wednesday is now going to be Whole Life Wednesday, and I am going to update here the status of these both to keep me accountable, and to track my progress.  Sunday’s will be dedicated to my new interest in making a budget and sticking with it.  Starting next week, I will have a set of budgetary goals to add to this group.

What about you?  What are your goals?

I hope you all have wonderful holidays and maybe some snow if you’re in the right area for it.  We’ll see each other in the new year!

One thing I haven’t done in a long time as well is put up a Christmas tree.  C and I went and cut one ourselves in Elgin at the Christmas Tree Farm and I decorated it.  It’s mostly an armadillo tree since I have two ornaments and our tree topper is my large metal armadillo.  This is what happens when you don’t have many items to go on them.

So I’ve done two things I haven’t done in many years, one good and one somewhat frustrating, but it will all work out in the end.

Have you gotten your holiday shopping done?  Are you ready for it this year?

Today, the wonderful plugin HotFix updated, and now the issue is fixed.  I’m now back to posting.  It was a nice little break, but I’m glad it didn’t last long.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

It’s that time of year again.  Here in Austin we have some amazing holiday craft fairs going on and my favorite for three years running is the Blue Genie Art Bazaar.  It’s held each year in the Marchesa Hall, and this year I was happy to see it has overtaken the majority of the space.  Maybe by next year they will be filling the whole space!

I stopped by there and of course, the budget didn’t allow for any shopping, but I did find some amazing artists I wanted to share.

I’ve chosen one piece of their work to represent each artist.  Please click on the pictures or name to be taken to their site.

Articulture

Graham Franciose

The Plaid Pigeon

Judy Paul

Rebecca Rothfus

Diana Sprinkle

Fisk and Fern

Presse Dufour

I love all of these.  I really want to get the armadillo cards for when I need to send a note or a thank you.  There were many more artists which I didn’t get a card for this time around, but I know I’ll go back before this year is over.  If you are in the area, stop in and check it out.  And if you’re not, check out the Blue Genie website for a listing of all the artists showing this year and do some online shopping.

]]> http://urbanbachelorette.com/2011/12/12/check-out-blue-genie-art-bazaar-austin-tx/feed/ 0 http://urbanbachelorette.com/2011/12/07/why-do-i-blog/ http://urbanbachelorette.com/2011/12/07/why-do-i-blog/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:13:02 +0000 Amanda http://urbanbachelorette.com/?p=2433

Over at The Written Word, I came across an interesting post asking why do you blog.  I thought this might be a good chance to share with you my answers and give you a little more insight into who I am as a blogger.

1.  How long have you been blogging?

I started blogging on LiveJournal oh so many years ago, but really delved into it in January 2009 and started up UrbanBachelorette on Blogspot.  After that I moved it to a regular site that you’re currently reading, and I’m still going.  It seems like it’s been so much longer than just under 3 years, but I’ve definitely enjoyed every minute of it.

2.  Why did you start blogging?

This is an interesting one.  One of my closest friends from my time in NYC started a book blog of her own and suggest I do it as well since I am always reading and always have interesting things to say about the books I’ve read.  Not really thinking it would be something I would stick with or enjoy much, it turned into one of my passions.

3.  What have you found to be the benefits of blogging?

I think the biggest benefit is opening my reading up to so many genres, discovering new authors, and of course all the book related events I’m now aware of both locally and throughout the country.  It’s also helped me to be more outgoing when I’m at the various events and even online meeting people and discussing books.

4.  How many times a week do you post an entry?

It varies greatly.  There are some weeks I get a post up each week day and sometimes on the weekends, and there are others where I’m so busy that I’m hard pressed to get even a Wordless Wednesday post up.  I do want to get a more regular schedule going though so that I have time set aside to post.

5.  How many different blogs do you read on a regular basis?

I was recently discussing this with a fellow blogger, and in my RSS feed alone I have around 300 which keeps growing.  I read the posts that come across that each day (although some of them I do hold off for the weekend.)

6.  Do you comment on other people’s blogs?

Not as often as I would like.  I feel that sometimes I’m just a lurker, but I also want to say something other than nice post so instead I’ll just not comment unless I have something to add to the conversation.

7.  Do you keep track of how many visitors you have?  Is so, are you satisfied with your numbers?

I do, but I’m not obsessed about it.  I’m actually amazed at how many regular visitors I get especially given my sporadic posting habits.

8.  Do you ever regret a post that you wrote?

I don’t regret anything I’ve posted although I am going back and updating some of my posts to show not only the post style I’m using now, but also to elaborate more on why I did or didn’t like something.  I think that some of my earlier posts weren’t fleshed out enough but I certainly don’t regret them.

9.  Do you think your audience has a true sense of who you are based on your blog?

I’m not sure on this one.  I certainly like to put a bit of me into all my posts, but I think I also limit myself as to what I will or won’t share on my blog.  That’s part of my rethinking process on some posts as well.

10.  Do you blog under your real name?

Yes, I’m not one to worry about pseudonyms or complete anonymity in the online community.

11.  Are there topics that you would never blog about?

There are many topics which I don’t feel strongly about and therefore wouldn’t write about, politics and religion are a couple at the top of the list.  I think anything I wouldn’t be constructively adding to the conversation I’d have with close friends or family wouldn’t be actively discussed on my blog either.

12.  What is the theme/topic of your blog?

Books, books, and more books.  I’m trying to balance that out more with some of my photography and other interests, but currently it’s books.

13.  Do you have more than one blog?  If so, why?

I do.  I have another blog which is an empty landing page now.  This is going to be my transition from UrbanBachelorette into a more mature version of all that I’ve learned since I started out on Blogspot and UrbanBachelorette.com.  I’m designing as much of it myself as I can and learning those things I don’t know so that it can really be an extension of my skills and knowledge.  The plan is to eventually move everything at UB to the new site, but I’m still not sure of the exact timeline.

So that’s why I blog.  I hope that’s given you some insight into me.  If you are a blogger, why do you blog?  Please leave a link to your post in the comments as I’d love to know more about you as well.

I received a Kindle Fire as a birthday present and I’ve had it for a week now.  It’s time to tell you my opinion of it.  Let’s start off with my praise of Amazon’s customer service.

I received the Kindle Fire on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, plugged it in, connected to the Wi-Fi, downloaded the software update and then the error message came.  I love new gadgets, and sadly this wasn’t what I expected at all.  I tried rebooting it, connecting it to my computer, anything I could think of as I’m not a stranger to trouble-shooting technology.  Alas, it was not something I could fix.  I called Amazon and spoke with Lettie who was super helpful.  She not only listened to my issues, but she was didn’t talk to me as if I didn’t know a thing about technology.  We spent a good hour going through every possible solution she had and unfortunately, she had to escalate it to the next level.

The following day, after some thinking, I realized that if it won’t connect to a Wi-Fi and it wouldn’t talk to a computer, there wasn’t any way for me to get a fix installed if the upper levels did come up with something.  I called Amazon back and spoke with Robert.  I explained my earlier discussion with Lettie and my thoughts on being unable to install a fix should they come up with one.  He agreed that I didn’t need to wait for that, spoke with his manager, and got a new Kindle shipped to me to replace the broken one.  I had the new one, at no extra cost to me, by the end of the day on Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Amazon went above and beyond during both my calls, and I am truly grateful for such a great customer service team.  The new Kindle powered on with the updated software already installed, and has had no problems thus far.

Now on to the important details.  I am very happy with the size, it’s easy to hold in one hand and not too heavy.  The screen is clear, has vivid colors, and seems very sturdy.  It’s a very simple design which minimal buttons, a port to connect to the power source or a computer, and two small speakers.

The screen is very responsive, and I do like the user interface design.  The backgrounds on the lock screen are gorgeous.  Sometimes I wish I could just look at those.  I do not like that everything you access is stored as an image on the front dashboard.  You can clear some of them by clearing the applications, but it’s somewhat hidden, and I had to do a search online to find out how to clear that.  However, it does not clear everything and some things are there forever.  I’ve read many comments and that seems to be one of the main concerns.  Other than that, the dashboard is clean and very intuitive.

Kindle’s Lending Library is a nice addition to those with the Prime membership, but I find the selection of books to be less than desirable.  I spent a while flipping through the list to find my first book to borrow, and finally decided I would read Water for Elephants since I had it on my TBR list but hadn’t gotten around to reading it yet.  None of the books I have on my wish list are available through the Lending Library, so I think they will need to expand on that to make it a really worthwhile bonus to owning a Kindle and paying for the Prime membership.  Overall the reading experience was good.  I like that I can tap or swipe to change the page, and the ability to look up word definitions and such while reading is a definite plus.

One of the things I didn’t like was the inability to read my Google ebooks on the Kindle.  I’d bought some books from a recent Unbridled Books sale of their titles, and was looking forward to reading them.  However, Kindle doesn’t allow the Google apps, and won’t read the Google ebooks format.  Thanks to the wonderous Internets, I found a workaround for that.  I installed the Barnes and Noble Nook app and was able to import the Google ebooks into the Nook app.  Now I can read just about any format.  The Nook app works well on the Kindle as well and I’ve been going between that and the Kindle books.

I haven’t watched a full length movie yet, but I did fire one up that was available on their Prime membership.  Their movie choice is better than their book lending selection and I found a movie that I had recently watched on our big screen tv with surround so I could effectively compare it.  The picture was excellent on the Kindle, although I do wish they used the full screen instead of centering the picture in a box within the screen.  Other than that, I have no complaints.  The playing was smooth and what sound was put out on the device is perfect for a person to watch without disturbing those around them.  However, if there is any background noise in the area you’re in while watching, I highly suggest you put on a pair of headphones.

The web interface is nice as well although it’s not one I would use other than to look something up quickly or as a main device for accessing the internet.  The Google RSS feed reader is not able to work well on the Kindle and that’s my main source of internet entertainment/knowledge.  I’ve yet to try to use a site and was unable to although sometimes when scripts stop working instead of allowing you to continue without said script, it just restarts the browser.  That’s kind of annoying if you’re opening multiple tabs and aren’t sure which one is causing the problem.

All in all I love my Kindle.  I’m almost through my second e-book on it and I find it suitable for my purposes.  I’m not going to give up physical books anytime soon and go completely digital, but for books that I know I will probably only read once, or ARCs from publishers, I think this will do a great job of keeping my apartment and TBR pile clutter free.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

I’ve been following the Top Ten Tuesday meme for a while now and have decided to participate this week in my first ever Top Ten Tuesday.  Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and they have a linky with all the participants, so don’t forget to head over and check out the other bloggers lists as well.

This week’s topic is Top Ten Books on your winter TBR list.

1. Expedition to the Mountain of the Moon (Burton and Swinburne) by Mark Hodder

I just finished reading The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man, the second in the trilogy and I am super excited to read the final book which comes out in January.  Perfect timing for a winter read curled up on the couch with a cup of coffee.

2. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

I loved Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, so I’m really excited to jump into another time period with an intertwining large cast of characters that Follett so easily crafts into a wonderous story.  And it’s the start of another trilogy, as if I need more of those to keep up with, but for Follett’s writing, I think it’s well worth it.

3. Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal

I read a review of this on one of the many blogs I follow in my RSS feed, and it sounded like a book well worth reading and intriguing at that.  And it combines two of my favorite things, books and video games.

4. The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood by James Gleick

I’m not sure how to sum this one up, so here’s a quick blurb about it from Amazon:

In a sense, The Information is a book about everything, from words themselves to talking drums, writing and lexicography, early attempts at an analytical engine, the telegraph and telephone, ENIAC, and the ubiquitous computers that followed. But that’s just the “History.” The “Theory” focuses on such 20th-century notables as Claude Shannon, Norbert Wiener, Alan Turing, and others who worked on coding, decoding, and re-coding both the meaning and the myriad messages transmitted via the media of their times. In the “Flood,” Gleick explains genetics as biology’s mechanism for informational exchange–Is a chicken just an egg’s way of making another egg?–and discusses self-replicating memes (ideas as different as earworms and racism) as information’s own evolving meta-life forms. Along the way, readers learn about music and quantum mechanics, why forgetting takes work, the meaning of an “interesting number,” and why “[t]he bit is the ultimate unsplittable particle.” What results is a visceral sense of information’s contemporary precedence as a way of understanding the world, a physical/symbolic palimpsest of self-propelled exchange, the universe itself as the ultimate analytical engine. If Borges’s “Library of Babel” is literature’s iconic cautionary tale about the extreme of informational overload, Gleick sees the opposite, the world as an endlessly unfolding opportunity in which “creatures of the information” may just recognize themselves.

I don’t know about you, but after that description, I’m all in.

5. Heart of Iron by Ekaterina Sedia

This has been on my wish list with Amazon for far too long.  I’m tempted to get it on my Kindle, but as with all her previous books, I know I’ll love it and want to add it to my keeper shelves so perhaps it’s better to get it in book form from the start.  Or maybe it’s worth getting it twice?

6. The Night Eternal by Guillermo del Toro

This I have been waiting patiently for since finishing the second in the trilogy.  This will make a perfect winter’s read to finish up the intense story that was built up in the first two books.

7. The Folded World by Catherynne M. Valente

This is another in a series that, like Sedia’s, I’m sure I’ll want it in book format to add to the keeper shelves and not just in Kindle format.  Valente’s writing is gorgeous and it can take your breath away with it’s vividness.  I can’t wait to step into the pages of this one and continue on the journey she’s started.

8. Highly Inappropriate Tales for Young People by Douglas Coupland

Oh Coupland, I have read so many of his books, and loved them dearly.  I can’t even begin to imagine how funny/interesting this book will be.  The cover alone is enough to make me buy this book.

9. 11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King

It’s been well over two years since I read one of King’s books and after all I’ve heard about this one, it’s definitely one that I’d like to get read sooner rather than later.  And a good long book is always a good choice for a winter-y weekend.

10. Dark Faith by various authors

This has a short story by Catherynne M. Valente as well as many others and they all have a bit of a religious bent to them.  While I am in no-way religious myself, I do find stories of religion fascinating and who could pass up one with Zombie Jesus?

What are your top ten?  I’ve had a great time compiling this list and I hope it inspires you to read some of these titles as well.  Please leave a link to your top ten or if you don’t have a blog leave your list in the comments.  I’d love to hear what you are looking forward to reading.

I also bought myself the Up by Jawbone.  If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a bracelet that you wear and combined with the iPhone app it tracks your movement/workouts, eating and sleeping habits.  I only got it today, so the jury is still out, but either way, there will also be a review of it, good or bad, next week as well.

I love getting new gadgets.  And getting ones I love and that work as expected is even better.  I’m hoping that the Kindle will get me reading more than I already do.  Through some Googling and fiddling, I was able to get my Google Ebooks that I purchased from Unbridled Books’ 25 books for $0.25 sale on the Kindle to read as well as Water for Elephants as a loaner through Amazon’s Prime Lending Library.  That should keep me going for at least a month.

I’m almost done reading the second Burton and Swinburne book and can’t wait to review it.  As much as I loved the first one, I think this one is going to surpass it by a long shot.  I expect great things from the conclusion of the trilogy when it comes out.

I’ve also been knitting up an afghan which I had planned on keeping as an extra throw for the living room, but I discovered one night that I’m apparently allergic to the alpaca yarn I am making it from.  Thankfully it’s not super serious, I just can’t rub my eyes without washing my hands first when I’m knitting with it.  Once it’s finished though, I think it will make a nice gift for a friend for the holidays.  And then I’ll have a reason to knit another one out of some other type of soft yarn for the house.

Overall this has been an amazing week, and I can’t believe there are a little over 5 weeks left in this year.  Where has the time gone?

Have you gotten any new gadgets recently?  Are you loving them?  Share your stories in the comments.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

Jacob T. Marley

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by R. William Bennett

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Published by Shadow Mountain, October 2011

Marley was dead to begin with … These chillingly familiar words begin the classic Christmas tale of remorse and redemption in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Now R. William Bennett rewinds the story and focuses the spotlight on Scrooge s miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. Why was Marley allowed to return? And why hadn t he been given the same chance as Ebenezer Scrooge? Or had he? Written with a voice reminiscent of Dickens, Jacob T. Marley is to A Christmas Carol as the world-famous Wicked is to The Wizard of Oz as this masterfully crafted story teaches of choices, consequences, and of the power of accountability. It is sure to become a Christmas favorite.

Who would’ve thought there was so much to tell about such a small character in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol?  I certainly expected this to be a retelling of the well-known story, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Full of charm and beautiful writing, Bennett pulls together a story that fits so perfectly into the original tale that you could almost see it as side notes for Dickens’ tale.  Not only do we get a glimpse into who the man Marley was and how he got that way, but we also see how he influenced Scrooge and helped to mold him into the man he became.

As the story unfolds, we are introduced to another side of some of literature’s most well-known characters and yet, it doesn’t read like a simple re-telling of Dickens’ classic tale of redemption.  Marley plays such a pivotal role in the final outcome of Scrooge’s night with the spirits and he becomes a new man in our eyes just as Scrooge does in A Christmas Carol.

As the holiday season approaches, I hope that you pick this up and add this wonderful tale to your yuletide traditions.  And perhaps even as a simple bedtime story to share with your children as I know A Christmas Carol in book form can be quite daunting.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

 The Mistress Contract

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by She and He

Published by Unbridled Books, October 2011

The Taker

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Alma Katsu

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Published by Gallery Books, September 2011

Dr. Luke Findley is on the midnight shift in the emergency room when the police bring in a young woman. Few strangers come to this remote town in northernmost Maine in the winter, and this stranger is accused of a bizarre crime: killing a man and leaving his body in the Great North Woods. The young woman, Lanny, tells the doctor that she and the man in the woods lived in this town at its founding two hundred years ago, until fate sentenced them to an eternity of unhappiness until they atone for their sins.

The man in the woods is Jonathan, son of the town’s founder, and the love of Lanny’s life. After Lanny commits a terrible sin in the hope of claiming Jonathan for her own, she’s banished from town and sent to Boston to serve her penance. In Boston, she falls in with a beguiling yet frightening man, Adair, who has otherworldly powers, including the ability to confer immortality. His world is one of unknown sensual pleasures and seemingly limitless power, but at what price?

Adair wants to add Jonathan to the collection of treacherous courtiers who do his bidding (but for unknown ends) and sends Lanny back to Maine to collect him. It seems like the answer to Lanny’s deepest desire—to be with Jonathan forever—but once Jonathan has joined Adair’s pack of immortals, she sees that Adair is not what he seems and his intentions toward Jonathan are far worse than she imagined. And now it is up to her to save her beloved—and herself—from a terrible fate designed to last for all eternity.

The Taker is a story of the power of love to corrupt, to drive us to do terrible things in its name, and the courage it takes to sacrifice in the name of love and ultimately be worthy of absolution.

This review may come across as gushing, but if you haven’t read this book, you are doing yourself a disservice.  I met Katsu at the BEA in 2010 long before the book came out and had the ARC sitting on my shelf for far too long.  I picked it up and flew through it.

As some reviews of this book have expanded upon, there are some seriously violent scenes and activities that will disturb some readers.  However, these scenes are not there to be gratuitous, but to elicit the extreme emotions that Katsu impresses upon the reader.  The reader is taken from the heart wrenching tale of young love; a love that we rarely experience outside of  a book and yet one we all crave, to the intense yet brutal extremes as Lanny is taken in by Count Adair and his entourage, and finally to her realization of what she’s done and the woman she has become after many years finally taking responsibility for the choices she made.

Part historical fiction, part psychological horror, a bit of paranormal circumstance and all love story, The Taker will draw you in and run you through an emotional roller coaster that you don’t want to get off.  You cannot wait for the next page to reveal yet another reason to cheer for Lanny, even when she makes a decision that seems unforgivable.

The characters, Lanny, Jonathan, Count Adair, and Luke are so well-developed, it’s hard to believe this is a first book.  The love Lanny has for Jonathan, which turns to obsession, sometimes blinds her, but it doesn’t feel contrived and her intense feelings are at times almost palpable to the reader.  And the warmth felt from the love side, is starkly and perfectly contrasted by the violence experienced from Adair and his cold-hearted entourage.  Adair’s back story is delicately crafted to fit seamlessly into the tale.

I can’t stress enough that you should pick up this book.  A book that can make the reader feel such an array of emotions comes along rarely. It’s been a long time since I felt this strongly about a story that is both beautiful and tragic.  The last time I felt this way was when I read The Gargoyle and if you haven’t read that one either, then I suggest you get yourself to a bookstore and pick them both up.  Perhaps this will be continued in a sequel; one that I will jump at the chance to read.

This post is a selection for the Peril the First portion of the 6th annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge. To find out more information and/or to sign up to participate, please follow the link. If you are interested in more books or films that are being reviewed as part of this event, please visit the R.I.P. VI Review Site. (This paragraph borrowed from Carl V. who is hosting R.I.P. VI)

Immortal

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Gillian Shields

(Amazon, Goodreads)

Published by Harper Audio, June 2010

Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, housed in a Gothic mansion on the bleak northern moors, is elite, expensive, and unwelcoming. When Evie Johnson is torn away from her home by the sea to become the newest scholarship student, she is more isolated than she could have dreamed. Strict teachers, snobbish students, and the oppressive atmosphere of Wyldcliffe leave Evie drowning in loneliness.

Evie’s only lifeline is Sebastian, a rebellious, mocking, dangerously attractive young man she meets by chance. As Evie’s feelings for Sebastian grow with each secret meeting, she starts to fear that he is hiding something about his past. And she is haunted by glimpses of a strange, ghostly girl—a girl who is so eerily like Evie, she could be a sister. Evie is slowly drawn into a tangled web of past and present that she cannot control. And as the extraordinary, elemental forces of Wyldcliffe rise up like the mighty sea, Evie is faced with an astounding truth about Sebastian, and her own incredible fate.

Gillian Shields’s electrifying tale will dazzle readers with suspense, mysticism, and romance.

This was a download from the Sync YA as a free audiobook this summer.

I fully expected this to be a standard Gothic thriller with a love story.  However, while it was that, it was far from standard.  Yes, the tale is somewhat predictable, but what makes this stand out is Shield’s ability to pull together a beautifully toned story that seamlessly transitions from past to present as the narration changes from Evie’s point of view to Agnes’s.  The depth of the characters, and Shield’s decision to make Sebastian an un-predictable love interest pull this story together making it stand out from the rest.

I liked the narration of the audiobook which held me even though I listened to it sporadically.  With two characters, Evie and Agnes, being so similar, yet from different time periods, it could have been easy to be lost as the narration transitions back and forth, but Shield’s superb writing allowed for a powerful reading that keeps you coming back for more.  I know that I would have had a hard time putting the book down if I had read it in that format.

I’ve also added the other novels in the series to my reading list, but this book can stand on its own, and I do not feel left hanging having not read the others.  It’s a bit heavy and deep at times, so not particularly a light summer read, but as the weather gets cooler, it’s a good book to keep in mind when you want to curl up with a good book.

This post is a selection for the Peril the First portion of the 6th annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge. To find out more information and/or to sign up to participate, please follow the link. If you are interested in more books or films that are being reviewed as part of this event, please visit the R.I.P. VI Review Site. (This paragraph borrowed from Carl V. who is hosting R.I.P. VI)

Floating Staircase

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Ronald Malfi

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Published by Medallion Press, October 2011

Following the success of his latest novel, Travis Glasgow and his wife Jodie buy their first house in the seemingly idyllic western Maryland town of Westlake. At first, everything is picture perfect–from the beautiful lake behind the house to the rebirth of the friendship between Travis and his brother, Adam, who lives nearby. Travis also begins to overcome the darkness of his childhood and the guilt he’s harbored since his younger brother’s death–a tragic drowning veiled in mystery that has plagued Travis since he was 13. Soon, though, the new house begins to lose its allure. Strange noises wake Travis at night, and his dreams are plagued by ghosts. Barely glimpsed shapes flit through the darkened hallways, but strangest of all is the bizarre set of wooden stairs that rises cryptically out of the lake behind the house. Travis becomes drawn to the structure, but the more he investigates, the more he uncovers the house’s violent and tragic past, and the more he learns that some secrets cannot be buried forever.

I jumped for joy when I received an email from Medallion Press asking if I was interested in reviewing Malfi’s newest book.  I’d received The Ascent from them before, and it was my first experience with Malfi’s writing.  I was not disappointed and so I was ready, willing, and able to read this and review it.

As you may have read before, while this book has nothing to do with spiders, reading it before bed gave me a tidbit of anxiety, perfect for a good mystery/horror story and resulted in some interesting dreams while I was reading it.

The story is well-developed and unpredictable which is my favorite thing when it comes to Malfi’s books.  The Ascent keeps you guessing up to the end and so does Floating Staircase.  If you enjoyed any of Malfi’s books, please pick this one up and give it a read.  It’s a perfectly chilling story that will send shivers down your spine.

Sometimes I find it very hard to review books like this because I can’t tell you about it without giving something away that may result in you not enjoying it as much and possibly figuring out the ending.  But I will say that if you enjoy a story about a house with an interesting history, and how it becomes an obsession, then this is definitely a book for you.

Click here to see my related posts.

This post is a selection for the Peril the First portion of the 6th annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge. To find out more information and/or to sign up to participate, please follow the link. If you are interested in more books or films that are being reviewed as part of this event, please visit the R.I.P. VI Review Site. (This paragraph borrowed from Carl V. who is hosting R.I.P. VI)

Going Underground

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Susan Vaught

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

by Bloomsbury USA, September 2011

Del is a good kid who’s been caught in horrible circumstances. At seventeen, he’s trying to put his life together after an incident in his past that made him a social outcast-and a felon. As a result, he can’t get into college; the only job he can find is digging graves; and when he finally meets a girl he might fall in love with, there’s a sea of complications that threatens to bring the world crashing down around him again. But what has Del done? In flashbacks to Del’s fourteenth year, we slowly learn the truth: his girlfriend texted him a revealing photo of herself, a teacher confiscated his phone, and soon the police were involved.

Basing her story on real-life cases of teens in trouble with the law for texting explicit photos, Susan Vaught has created a moving portrait of an immensely likable character caught in a highly controversial legal scenario.

Having read the back of the book blurb and based on the cover, I wasn’t sure how I would like this book.  I mean the idea behind it is clearly something young adults should think about and understand the consequences of their actions in the eyes of the current laws, but how would it work as a story plot?  Would it come off preachy?  Or would it just be a back drop to an otherwise generic young adult novel about two kids in love?  Since I hadn’t  read Vaught’s work before, I had no idea what to expect.

Vaught provides an excellent novel which balances the life changing consequences with the heartbreaking challenges faced as one boy tries to put his life back together after what is thought to be an innocent act of two freshman in high school.  Vaught’s research and knowledge of current laws as well as how they are changing helps to expand a fictional story into a lesson (but not a preachy one) for young adults who do not always understand the consequences of their actions.

As I discussed with the girls of Explore Austin, the actions and things you say now in an ever increasing digital world, can have unknown responses down the road effecting both your personal life and potentially your professional life as well.  As the world connects through various digital means, the laws may not always be current with the new situations that arise with these technologies.  And as Vaught’s tale of Del clearly shows, what is thought to be a very innocent exchange between two non-sexually active teenagers, results in a young man about to graduate high school who cannot find a college to accept him, and his job prospects are so limited, that he is working in a cemetary.

I wish I had copies of this book to give to my friend who teach the target audience of this book as I know they would not only devour the story, but they might also stop to think before they do something that could result in a similar situation for them.  If you have a teen or even a tween, I would suggest you put this book in front of them.  It’s well worth a read.

An added bonus, this novel has the rare occurrence of being told from a boy’s point of view; something that you don’t often see in young adult novels and clearly a viewpoint that needs to be heard.

This post is a selection for the Peril the First portion of the 6th annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge. To find out more information and/or to sign up to participate, please follow the link. If you are interested in more books or films that are being reviewed as part of this event, please visit the R.I.P. VI Review Site. (This paragraph borrowed from Carl V. host of R.I.P. VI)

Wandering through the stores, I came across Caved Inn which is a store full of science-y activities and toys for children.  In front of the store is this water tank with a thing swimming around in it quite busily.  From the box I learn that it is a triops and a bit about them.  I totally want one now.  They apparently live around 3 months and get a little bigger than a tetra fish and are cared for like fish.  Pretty cool.

After telling C I wanted one, and that they are creepy and remind me of the face huggers from the Alien series, we end up on the subject of tardigrades, also known as water bears.

We have sea monkey eggs at home that need hatching as well, so pretty soon we could have a menagerie of small and microscopic creatures.

Definitely a unique household, but I’m very thankful that C is just big science geek like me.

Of course, I didn’t smoke regular cigarettes, but Djarum clove cigarettes, and their newer version, mini-cigars, which if you read up on them are so much worse than smoking regular cigarettes.  They have a higher nicotine content and of course in their mini-cigar versions, they are significantly bigger than a standard cigarette.  In the end, probably not the best thing to smoke if you’re going to smoke, but that’s what I smoked.

As of midnight on Sunday night, I have not smoked.  I’ve gone a day or two here and there over the past two years without a smoke, but I never went long enough to really feel the effects of quitting.  Let me tell you, there are reasons it’s so hard to quit.

I’m not using the patch or gum, or any other ‘aid’ and while that’s not bragging, it’s just what’s worked for me in the past for quitting things.  Just do it and do it when you can’t readily access your addiction.  The mini-cigars are not usually sold in convenience stores and you have to go to specialty shops to get them, so my trip to Tempe was perfect.  Yes I could Google a smoke shop nearby and I’m pretty sure the one I pass to and from the office would carry them, but I won’t know if I don’t go in, so I don’t.

Let’s get to why I’m really writing this post.  It’s not to brag that I’m doing this cold turkey or for praise, but to let you know that it sucks and not just in the quitting sense.  No one ever told me that I’d feel so awful while quitting.  Monday wasn’t a problem, I even felt pretty good despite the lack of nicotine.  However, Tuesday, I developed a cough and Wednesday, the cough was much worse coupled with feeling as if I have a cold, sore throat, ear ache, inability to sleep, etc.

I did some Googling on that and found that this is a common occurrence, but it seems a lot of people don’t know this is one of the stages of quitting.  You’re body is getting rid of all that junk that has accumulated in your lungs and as the cilia come back to life they are throwing it all back up so you get a lovely sick as a dog cold to go with any other withdrawal you’re feeling.  It makes a lot of people want to have another cigarette just so the coughing will stop.

If I had access to a clove, I’d probably do it.  I can attest that this sucks, but I know in the end, once all this is over, I’ll be better off and feeling a lot better than I have in years.

*Note — the previous bit was written on Wednesday morning at about 2 am.  Sleeping is definitely hard to come by with all this coughing.  I plan to update this toward the end of the week and post on Friday as one long post.

EDIT Friday @ 9 am.

Well this has been an interesting week.  The gross/cough/cold feeling is starting to subside and I think I am going to make it through this transition period.  I know I wouldn’t have made it without a lovely pharmacist who recommended Mucosinex D (I got the generic) to help the cough be a bit more productive, and while it hasn’t made it go away completely, it’s been much more pleasant than the first couple of days.

I’m also going to attribute some of my suffering to the Arizona dryness.  I’ve chugged water like there’s nothing to satiate my thirst, and yet I’m still feeling dehydrated.  Not to mention my skin is all dry and itchy.  I know having that dehydrated feeling along with the cough doesn’t help either.

But to wrap this post up, I strongly suggest if you’re going to quit smoking, do it when you can get away from your day-to-day routine, don’t have access to the cigarettes, and definitely be ready to feel under the weather for a few days minimum.  I know because I haven’t smoked for that long, that I’m probably getting off easy, but for others it may not be this short-lived.

Yay for almost a full 5 days smoke free.  I hope I can keep it up and be done with them for good.

Have you quit smoking? Did you experience similar feelings of cold/cough-y/grossness? Any suggestions for those out there planning to quit?

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The Immune

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

by Doc Lucky Meisenheimer

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Published by LJS&S Publishing, May 2011

1973 Herbert Boyer produces the first transgenic bacterial organism.

 1991 Herman the bull becomes the first transgenic mammal.

 2000 Transgenic rabbit fluoresces green.

In the not too distant future a biological crisis of epic proportions threatens the world. Genetically manufactured creatures, named airwars, attack and kill at random. Attacks on airwars result in the reproductive release of thousands of juveniles, which exponentially increase the airwar population hampering attempts at extermination.

A hastily formed world government, although having captured and sequestered the airwar’s creator, appears more effective in consolidating power than managing the crisis.

Hope emerges when a navy admiral discovers there are individuals born genetically immune to the deadly stings of the creatures. As the immunes struggle to protect humanity, they bemoan escalating governmental control. The admiral dismisses their concerns imploring focus on the creatures not politics.

There is, though, one key immune with the intelligence and leadership to look beyond the crisis. Consumed with exacting revenge against the airwars’ creator he remains oblivious. As the government unfolds its secret plans to end the crisis the destined future of humanity may well rest on his shoulders.

Please don’t judge this book by its cover.  I know it doesn’t look like much, and I have voiced my opinion of it to the publicist in the hopes that they will change it for future editions.  But for now, know that this is one that if you dismiss it because of the cover, you are missing out on a tremendous story.

I have to honestly say had I come across this in the bookstore, I wouldn’t have given it a second glance, but Victoria, Meisenheimer’s publicist, was at ArmadilloCon this year and told me about it and hooking me on the book.  And from page one to the last, I was drawn into this book, the writing, the characters, all of it.

What starts out as a government plot to keep those in power safe from the airwar attacks and leading the general population with an ineffective plan of ‘leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone’ attitude, soon becomes not only a great depiction of our leading powers the world over, but a window into the way people of all ages and backgrounds would react to such events if they should happen in the future.  Genetic manipulation is a very real and potentially dangerous act with many unknown consequences.  Not that there aren’t benefits, but there is always the good and the bad side of things.

Meisenheimer uses his extensive knowledge as a champion swimmer and his medical background to delve deeply into the world he creates bringing the characters and the threats to life.  His style of writing moves quickly, but doesn’t lack in details which enable the reader to vividly see the events as they unfold.  Keeping you on edge and just when you think you’ve got it figured out, he swings in with a twist and throws you right back to the edge of your seat.

As I said in the beginning, I’m not a fan of the cover and it does not do the story between it justice, but if you can put aside the cover, the book is more than well worth your time to read it.

This post is a selection for the Peril the First portion of the 6th annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge. To find out more information and/or to sign up to participate, please follow the link. If you are interested in more books or films that are being reviewed as part of this event, please visit the R.I.P. VI Review Site. (This paragraph borrowed from Carl V. who is hosting R.I.P. VI)

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Today, C and I went to the Texas State Fair up in Dallas.  I had read about it a while back and had stuck the idea in the back of my mind.  Having discovered that I needed to use some of my built up vacation time before I lost it, I decided this would be a good way to use a day of it.  We didn’t get as early of a start as I would have liked, but we got there around 12:30 and spent the afternoon checking out all the different activities and museums and food there was to offer.

One of the earliest stops along the way around the fair was the children’s barnyard petting area.  I love animals of all kinds and I was surprised at the variety they had there.  A lot of these were firsts for me seeing live and in person.  And other than a few of them, they were all super friendly and you could pet them or feed them or both.

I managed to kill a set of batteries on just the animal pictures alone. And the best ones are below.  I still can’t believe how many pictures I took today.

After the animals, we stopped for a friend Snickers bar.  Definitely a good thing to try should you have the chance.  So melty and gooey and tasty, but not melty like when it’s left in a hot car too long, good melty.

We continued our walk around and saw many things, although I didn’t take too many pictures and those that I did, well they didn’t come out so good.  Finally making our way to the Home of tomorrow (click here to read more about it on their website and take an interactive tour of the exhibit).  While I was impressed with the Micro home, neither of us were particularly impressed with the Home of Tomorrow, but we both liked the Renovated Home of Tomorrow.  According to the guidebook, it’s what a renovated home would look like, but this one was actually built inside a tent whereas the House and Micro home were fully completed structures.  It gave us some food for thought and sparked conversation about a perhaps future home and what we’d like as far as solar power and such.

After that we had a grand time wandering the Natural History museum and walking around the fair some more.  Then it was time for a late lunch/snack break.  C stuck with chicken strips, but I tried a Walking Taco which I’d read about (I think it was on Serious Eats) and that was definitely a good choice.  I might even make that at home sometime.

And as the day was wearing on and I had to be getting home (very early morning tomorrow starting at 3:30 am) we rode the Ferris Wheel before heading for the car.  I am glad I got a few pictures from the top as it’s super high up and I didn’t look straight down (as you can see in the picture) but I took a picture and looked at it later.  Looking straight down was a little scary to me.  It made me think of reading about the Chicago World’s Fair and the first Ferris Wheel.  I wish I could have been there to ride that one!

All in all it was a long, but great day.  I know there is a lot we didn’t see due to time and energy, but there’s always another time as this happens every year.  The fair runs through Sunday and if you have the chance to go, I suggest you do it.  I’d been to small county fairs growing up, but nothing of this size and it’s a great way to spend a day just exploring and having fun.

Oh and I almost forgot the best part! Their cotton candy was superb.  Light and airy, yet a hefty bag, this was probably some of the best I’ve ever had and trust me when I say I’ve had a lot over the years.

Enjoy the pictures and comments! (Note: There are a lot of cute animals below.)

Edward and the Island

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Charles Jonathan Martin and Will Weinke

(Amazon, Goodreads)

Published by Literati Press, May 2010

The End of the World isn’t the End of the Story. Sixty-three souls find themselves plucked from heaven and thrust into an experimental new universe. Haunted by the dark memories of their past lives on Earth and forced to live in an isolated community, a small group bands together to strike out into the new world and uncover the secrets of the Island.

I’m sad to see the awful review given this book on Amazon.  It seems to deter people from purchasing this book and giving it a shot.  Clearly, this is not supposed to be a factual book or even a biblical book.  Some people call it blasphemy, but I think they are missing the point of this book.

63 people have lived their lives and passed away and then they find themselves with all their memories, but as children just before puberty hits.  They have woken up on a plane and all been taken to an island which is home to a rustic summer camp.  As they begin to settle in, they are introduced to a hippie looking older gentleman who they are told is God.  Other than God, who takes a fairly loose handed role in guiding their activities and two ‘counselors’ who are somewhat of a mystery.

The children are put to tasks like making macaroni art and swimming in the lake, encouraged to read the only book available, the Bible, and are mostly ensconced in the camper life.  Many of the children fall into line and are happy to follow the rules.  However, the book focuses on Cabin 5, a cabin of boys who are not so willing to always follow the directions.  This leads to many interesting consequences which sometimes fit the crime, but sometimes seem to come from out of left field.

As the book goes on, we learn the connections between some of the children and how they knew each other in their past lives.  Seeing those connections, and the resulting discussions when the boys of Cabin 5 learn these connections, create a deeper level to the characters and their relationships as children as well as their actions as campers.

I thought that this book was well written, intriguing and definitely thought-provoking.  Even after reading this book a few weeks ago, I find that I recall events from it and find myself thinking about the story.  Clearly well written, and while it isn’t a religious book, I find that Martin takes into consideration many aspects of religion in his writing.

The end of this book has a nice twist/reveal that I found really made this book stand out and I wish I could discuss it more without giving it away.

I have another book of Martin’s that I picked up at ArmadilloCon when I picked up this one.  Martin himself is very well spoken and I find that his personality comes out in his writing.  I look forward to reading more of his work, and I would highly suggest that you pick this one up despite what other people have said negatively about this book.

This post is a selection for the Peril the First portion of the 6th annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge. To find out more information and/or to sign up to participate, please follow the link. If you are interested in more books or films that are being reviewed as part of this event, please visit the R.I.P. VI Review Site. (This paragraph borrowed from Carl V. who is hosting R.I.P. VI)

We learned all about orienteering and the girls were awesome.  I had a great time and I know the girls did too.  And they learned something.  I found them all to be very welcoming and some of them were quite chatty.

The other Mentors were clearly on good terms with the girls and the differences between being a leader and being a mentor make this something I really look forward to doing should I be chosen next year.

I can’t stress it enough how powerful and fulfilling it can be to volunteer and help out as a mentor.  If you should have the opportunity, do it.

The quick run down: you fill out a form about yourself, and you’re matched with a student at a school that needs a little extra help and support to encourage them and improve their reading skills.

I was matched with a wonderful girl, K. who lives on a reservation in Arizona.  She loves horses and is so full of ambition.  She chose Dear Mr. Blueberry as our first book, and while I haven’t read many children’s books recently, this one was quite cute.  A young girl believes she has a blue whale living in her pond and despite Mr. Blueberry’s insistence that blue whale cannot live in a pond in her backyard, the little girl is not swayed.  The pictures were well drawn and K. certainly enjoyed the book.

We will be reading and writing back and forth for three more books over the course of the year, and I cannot wait to hear all about her recent vacation in our next letters.  While I don’t do much, other than write a letter now and then and of course talk about our book, I can already see that her spelling is getting better.

If you have a little extra time in your life, I would highly recommend signing up as a pen-pal.  I know a lot of children out there that could use a friend and what better way to share your love of books with another.

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 The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities

(Amazon, Goodreads)

Editors: Ann and Jeff Vandermeer

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Published by Harper Voyager, July 2011

The death of Dr. Thackery T. Lambshead in 2003 at his house in Wimpering-on-the-Brook, England, revealed an astonishing discovery: the remains of a remarkable cabinet of curiosities.

A carefully selected group of popular artists and acclaimed, bestselling fantasy authors has been assembled to bring Dr. Lambshead’s cabinet of curiosities to life. Including contributions from Alan Moore, Lev Grossman, Mike Mignola, China MiÉville, Cherie Priest, Carrie Vaughn, Greg Broadmore, Naomi Novik, Garth Nix, Michael Moorcock , Holly Black, Jeffrey Ford, Ted Chiang, and many more.

Thackery T. Lambshead.  I didn’t read reviews of this, but what I’d seen of it at various bookstores and events, I knew I wanted to read it.  The concept of a cabinet of curiosities and the stories behind the items thrilled me, not only because I love a good story, but also because I am intrigued by unique and random items.  Ripley’s Believe It or Not stories were some of my favorite childhood reading and I expected something similar.  However, I didn’t realize that there isn’t actually a Thackery T. Lambshead or an actual cabinet of curiosities.  It’s a collection of stories about a fictional character with a decidedly steampunk focus.  I probably would have figured that out had I actually read the back of the book or anything about this other than being drawn in by the cover and the idea.  While I was disappointed when I discovered that these were all fictional with not a bit of basis in reality, it did not detract in the least from my enjoyment of these stories.

The book is broken into different sections, each filled with wonderfully written stories that bring these creations and the man behind the collection to life.  In addition to the vivid writing, there are some amazing illustrations from gifted artists.  After hearing Scott Westerfeld speak on the loss of illustration and their re-immergence in books, I see how much greater this volume is with the addition of illustrations.  Some are so detailed, it looks like it’s more of a photograph, a testament to the artists abilities and making the story seem that more real.

While I enjoyed all the stories, one in particular still stands out after reading it.  China Mieville’s “Pulvadmonitor: The Dust’s Warning” by and far was my favorite story.  I would love to see Mieville turn this into a full length novel or even a shorter novella.  I would pick it up and recommend it because as a short story it was amazing.

The Vandermeers did a wonderful job pulling all these together into such an extensive tome that would be a welcome addition to any library.  I am looking forward to reading their earlier collection, The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases.

For a wonderful look into the artwork and stories of The Cabinet of Curiosities, please check out io9.com’s post here: The Horrible, Amazing, Odd Story Behind the Stories of Thackery T. Lambshead

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

Head on over to io9 to read the exclusive excerpt for yourself.

This comes out just in time for my work trip perhaps it’ll be my book for the trip.

I loved this book and I’m so excited to tell you that you can now get your own copy of God’s Eye by A. J. Scudiere.  It released on October 1st and you are missing out if you don’t get your own copy.

Check out my review here.

And of course there is a great interview with A. J. Scudiere here.

Go out and get your copy now!

To start things off, the Hill Country Players who are doing a zombie-fied Romeo and Juliet, entertained us with a performance of Thriller. I have to say that some of these kids have some talent.

Update: Scott Westerfeld has started off his keynote, and in a matter of seconds he sums up the story of Uglies.  He’s quite funny and personable which makes me wonder why I haven’t read his books.

He tells of the upset he experienced from his followers when they found out that the Japanese version of Uglies has pictures.  And now we’re being taken through a very funny discourse on how books like Dickens and Austen had pictures, but somewhere along the way they stopped putting the pictures in the books.

An excellent story of how Sherlock Holmes gained his nonconical deerstalker hat which everyone knows as the Holmes hat.  Westerfeld said “if you wear a deerstalker hat and a bathrobe for Halloween, you are Sherlock Holmes taking a shower.”

Ultimately, Westerfeld says that the rise of the camera is the reason why pictures are no longer in adult or young adult books because the illustrator has gone by the wayside.  And this is why Leviathan has illustrations and how he came by the story for Leviathan.

My updating has taken a on a lull, but not because Scott has lost me, but because he has enthralled me with his tales and it is hard to pull away to update.  More updates to come soon.

Update: The fan art that Westerfeld is sharing is amazingly good.  Some people even built things from the book out of legos.

Perfect quote: “Pictures do not destroy imagination. They just give it more to play with.”

If you ever have the chance to hear Scott Westerfeld speak, please do.  He’s one of the best speakers I’ve heard.

Update:

Waiting for the next panel to begin and I just met Tracey Deebs author of Tempest Rising which has a beautiful cover.  I’ve added it to my to be read list.  She is here with Shellee promoting their new collaboration, The International Kissing Club which also looks interesting.

Coffee Talk: The Stimulating Story of the World’s Most Popular Brew

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Morton Satin

(Amazon, Goodreads)

Published by Prometheus Books November 2010

What is it about coffee that makes it so popular across so many different cultures? Can it be the caffeine or is there something else about coffee that makes it so alluring?

No beverage has broader worldwide appeal. In North America and Europe, the annual amount of coffee consumed is overwhelming. And in China and even in India, the traditional stronghold of tea drinking, the coffee business has grown by leaps and bounds.

In this entertaining yet comprehensive book, food expert Morton Satin describes how, in recent times, coffee has become the magnet that draws people together for spirited interchanges of information and ideas. In the intellectual capitals of the world, coffeehouses have been and continue to be the venues where the great minds flock to discuss the latest developments in the arts, sciences, and social philosophies.

Satin, moreover, traces the rich and intriguing history of coffee, showing how coffee consumption evolved to fit the social and economic needs of different times. His fascinating narrative dispels common myths and conveys such little-known facts as: the dark coffee bean originated in Africa, not South America, as many believe.

Today, of course, it is the indispensable wake-up beverage in most households throughout the West and the East. It is also the mainstay of the Starbucks phenomenon—a chain of coffeehouses whose popularity continues to soar. Satin even goes on to reveal the best techniques for home brewing. And he enlivens his narrative with stories of the fine art of the barista, which includes the World Barista Championship where rival barmen from around the globe display the highest artistry of coffee brewing.

Lavishly illustrated, this delightful and informative book is the perfect complement for your next coffee break.

I had intended to write this piece last week while sitting in my favorite Austin coffee shop, Epoch, but they were having network issues and so it just didn’t happen as planned.  But it would have been awesome to have a piping hot raspberry mocha to sip while writing a review all about coffee.

This book falls into the non-fiction that I love to read.  I love reading the history of things, how they came to be a part of life today, where the small things related to them originally sprung up, some things I’ve read about have been banned and so I learned why and any myriad of other tidbits about an item.

Coffee, holds a very dear place in my heart.  But it has to be really good coffee.  The best I’d ever had, was in college a neighbor in the next room over would invite me over for his specialty while we played chess or cards.  (I think I miss his coffee as much as I miss playing chess and cards on a regular basis.)  He would slowly warm the milk up to just below boiling, hand grind the coffee beans (I wish I could remember what they were specifically) then measure out the grounds into his french press, add the milk, set his timer and then press it when finished.  Amazing!  I’ve tried to replicate it, but haven’t been successful.  Apparently his attention to detail and the painstaking time he spent perfecting his technique was well worth it, almost a trade secret.

Learning about the rise of coffee, how it made its way into the heart of the American culture, and its spread around the world was quite enjoyable.  I learned about the rise of coffee shops and how several rulers tried to control their public by banning coffee, thankfully without much success.  Satin even tells how coffee is raised, harvested, and readied for roasting.  I learned some things I didn’t know, but having been a coffee fan for several years now, there was a lot of the information such as the difference between a bean that is sun-dried with its skin versus those that are dried with the skin on during the process, and of course thanks to modern movies, I even knew about the super-expensive, super-elite coffee that comes from the droppings of a wild cat.  If you haven’t seen The Bucket List I suggest you at least watch the bit about the coffee.  It’s very entertaining.

All in all I found this book to be a good read.  I did find it to lose some of its cohesion towards the last half as Satin seemed to jump around a bit from quotes about coffee to how to make coffee, and then going back to some of the history of it.  However, it did not distract enough from the whole to make me not suggest this book.

There is another book on my wish list that also covers the history of coffee, and it will be interesting to compare the two when I finally get around to getting a copy of the other.  Perhaps my next non-fiction should be about sugar, or something that is somehow linked to coffee.  We shall see.

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If these sound fun to you, jump on over and get yourself a set.  Heck you can keep one and give one to a friend.  I wonder if I can mix the balls and cubes to create even more interesting shapes?

Only time will tell.

Now while I understand and have benefited from these extras included with textbooks (especially when doing more research for a paper) I cannot begin to accept this as a good thing for fiction.

Personally, I read fiction to escape reality for a while and lose myself in a work of fiction.  Following the characters, maybe wanting to be one of the characters at that time, and of course using my imagination to create the world in which I am reading.  Sometimes you will have a book which presents a sketch of the characters, but most if not all is left to what you imagine the author is describing.  A work of fiction isn’t just a story, it’s a way to explore other time periods, events, aspects of life, etc. that you wouldn’t be able to experience otherwise.  And exercising your mental muscles imagining scenes as you read are why many people read fiction.

I suppose I could think of transmedia like the extras on a DVD or those rarities that have an online addition when you put the DVD into your computer.  However, in textbooks, there are notes on the pages drawing your attention away from the text to where you can find more information.  Imagine if this was in a work of fiction.  Footnotes at times can be cumbersome if they are long and require you to step outside of the story to read the footnote and then find your place again and pick up where you left off.  What if the notes drew you to the internet and the time zap that comes with that?  If you were reading and then decided to check out the extra bit online, wouldn’t you also be tempted to check Facebook and your email, and who knows what else, and at some point get back to the book only to discover you don’t remember what you were reading about?

I’ve noticed some news bits about e-books with extras like this built-in, and for those reading on an internet enabled device, I’d be curious to see how many people more than double the time it takes them to read a book or perhaps not even finish the book because they are pulled out of the story and into a chain of information that may or may not add to the enjoyment of the book.

I’m not one to avoid new technologies and such, but sometimes I think children need to use their imaginations and disconnect from our ever-increasing connectedness.

Hamlet’s Blackberry:

Building a Good Life in the Digital Age

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by William Powers

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Published by Harper Perennial, August 2011

A crisp, passionately argued answer to the question that everyone who’s grown dependent on digital devices is asking: “Where’s the rest of my life?”

At a time when we’re all trying to make sense of our relentlessly connected lives, this revelatory book presents a bold new approach to the digital age. Part intellectual journey, part memoir, Hamlet’s BlackBerry sets out to solve what William Powers calls the conundrum of connectedness. Our computers and mobile devices do wonderful things for us. But they also impose an enormous burden, making it harder for us to focus, do our best work, build strong relationships, and find the depth and fulfillment we crave.

Hamlet’s BlackBerry argues that we need a new way of thinking, an everyday philosophy for life with screens. To find it, Powers reaches into the past, uncovering a rich trove of ideas that have helped people manage and enjoy their connected lives for thousands of years. New technologies have always brought the mix of excitement and stress that we feel today. Drawing on some of history’s most brilliant thinkers, from Plato to Shakespeare to Thoreau, he shows that digital connectedness serves us best when it’s balanced by its opposite, disconnectedness.

Using his own life as laboratory and object lesson, Powers demonstrates why this is the moment to revisit our relationship to screens and mobile technologies, and how profound the rewards of doing so can be. Lively, original, and entertaining, Hamlet’s BlackBerry will challenge you to rethink your digital life.

Care to take a guess how many times I checked my iPhone or email while reading this book?  Too many to count that’s for sure.  While I do maintain some distance by having my phone on silent and it does not vibrate or ping when I receive an email/text/invite/etc. it doesn’t mean I’m not addicted to it and check it consistently throughout the day.  While I do find myself checking it over and over, I do not wait in anticipation of the next ping as I did when I had the sound on and the notifications turned on.

The basis of Power’s book is to show that while we are addicted to our technology, people throughout history have dealt with new technologies as they developed and found a happy medium between obsessive connectivity and co-existence.  I’d like to think that I’m working more towards co-existence than obsessive, but it’s been a long time coming.

One of his most intriguing points is that nature has made us more prone to pay attention to new stimuli whether it is to find food or avoid a predator.  Like a Pavlovian response, we get a little dopamine kick each time our email pings or the phone beeps with a text.  I’m sure you’ve felt the rush when new mail arrives.

And it’s not just the phone, it’s the computers, television, radio, everything.  Our lives are wired many times over and we have no shelter from the crowd.  I would suggest reading this if only for his wonderful description of a room filled with people and how there is no place to get away for a moment to reflect on the interactions of the day.  I know of many book bloggers who, even with our love of books, cannot help but be pulled out of our stories when the email ping sounds.  What do we lose of the story and our enjoyment when we are constantly pulled from one thing to the next?  And think of how difficult that can be when working and you have not only the email ping, but instant messages, texts, phone calls, etc.  Even the best multi-tasker cannot get any benefit from the constant motion of our thoughts until the day’s end and sometimes not even then.

Powers explains that as new technologies came about, people felt overwhelmed by the changes and the need to connect and disconnect.  There is an excellent example of Socrates believing that writing, which was starting to come to the mainstream, would let people forget things because instead of remembering them, they could just look it up if it was written down.  And yet, writing was developed, improved upon, and has persisted for hundreds of years.  Today, we wouldn’t blink an eye if something suggested we write something down instead of remembering it.

Powers covers a lot of history, revealing many interesting facts that draw you into what he is trying to tell us.  We don’t need to give up on technology, but we do need to find a happy medium which will allow us to interact with people in real-time, not just through Facebook and Twitter, and to reflect on those interactions.  Without some ‘quiet’ time away from busyness of the world, we cannot maintain a balance and gain the fulfillment those experiences bring to our lives.

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Last week we watched Arachnophobia, Insidious, and tonight we have Zombieland on the agenda.  Yes I know, what was I thinking? Arachnophobia??? Well thankfully it does creep me out some while watching it, but it doesn’t give me nightmares, and the apartment is very bug free, so it would be much worse if after watching it I was to come across a spider.  I do love that movie though.  They did an amazing job with the spiders and the jumpy parts.

As for Insidious, well, that is one I will probably only watch once.  It wasn’t very scary, and while it did make me jump a couple of times, thinking about it now, there is very little that was memorable about it.  And I saw a preview on tv that shows they have the sequel coming out soon too.  Where exactly are they going to go with that?

Tonight will be Zombieland, which I’ve seen at least a dozen times as my boss’s son, who I watch once in a while, loves this movie.  So when he’s around, we have pizza and zombies.  Good times.  It’s definitely not a movie that gets old though as I don’t dread watching it over and over.

I haven’t finished any books for RIP VI recently, but I have two books going now, one of which will be a review for RIP VI.  It’s The Taker by Alma Katsu and I’ve been excited to read this for a while now.  I’m only a quarter of the way in, and I’m already hooked.  This should be a great read.

I’m also trying to get my hands on a copy of J.T. Holden’s newest book, Twilight Tales, which looks to be a perfect read for RIP VI as well. (Publishers, if you’re reading this, please send me a copy — end of shameless begging.)

I’ve contemplated re-reading House of Leaves which will knock your socks off and it’s one I cannot read when I’m alone, and/or the collection of short stories in The Best Stories from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.  That is another that I’ve read countless times and always gives me a good fright.

This post is a selection for the Peril on the Screen portion of the 6th annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge. To find out more information and/or to sign up to participate, please follow the link. If you are interested in more books or films that are being reviewed as part of this event, please visit the R.I.P. VI Review Site. (This paragraph borrowed from Carl V. who is hosting R.I.P. VI)

There he is, jumping from my flash.  I wish this one had been in focus, but I didn’t know I had him jumping till I got the pictures on the computer.

Then he stopped at the neighbors patio door.  I wonder if he thinks he lives here.

After this, I went downstairs and got some up close and personal pictures.  I’m sure it was more shock from the flash and such and me being close than anything, but he was surprisingly cooperative.

I think he’s giving me the evil eye in this one.  Or sizing me up to see if he can take me.

And this is my favorite:

This frog’s got some attitude. (And look at those pecs.)

I’m glad it finally rained and it’s great to see all kinds of creatures out and about.  There were some geckos or the like running around on the sidewalks as well, but they weren’t nearly as willing to sit for a photo shoot as Mr. Frog.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

For those of you in the area, I would suggest checking it out.  If you’re a teacher of teenage kids, I would highly suggest coming yourself or bringing a bus of your students too.  This sounds like a great opportunity to meet YA authors and learn about their books.  And of course, if you’re in the area and would like to meet up for coffee and some book chat, feel free to let me know.  I’ll be there!

Little Brother

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Cory Doctorow

(Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, Website)

Published by Listening Library, May 2010

Marcus is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems. But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison, where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days. When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state, where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.

This book was not my first experience with Doctorow’s work, although it was my first of his as an audiobook, and so while I knew and loved his style of writing, I was not quite prepared for such a fascinating book.  As most characters in his books, this one focuses on a teenager named Marcus who is quite intelligent and loves video games, especially one that has an online part and a real life adventure component.  And this is what gets Marcus started down his path.

Marcus is a character that you can believe in.  I could easily imagine meeting him in life and not having the thought of this could never happen to a real teenager.  Yes, he is smart and as we soon learn, resourceful with a bit of an edge when it comes to authority figures, but he also has one thing that makes him even more real, he makes mistakes.  His actions and decisions make him an easy to identify with character while he faces the consequences of his decisions and actions that many of us fear no matter what our age.

Homeland Security plays a large part in Marcus’s story.  In the near future, terrorist have blown up the Bay Bridge and Marcus and his friends are in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Marcus and his friends are well versed in their freedoms and therein lies the major part of this tale.  Who is right,  Homeland Security for their actions or Marcus for his rebellion against those actions?

Filled with many technical terms and high-tech programs, these enable Marcus and others to thwart the DHS in their attempts to take away various personal freedoms and privacy in the wake of the bridge attack.  Through the use of security cameras and RFIDs, DHS tracks the riders of the BART system and pulls aside for questioning anyone who has an unusual ride pattern.  The techniques Marcus employs and the technology used, RFIDs, propaganda, cryptography, computers, are real as the very informative afterward to the book details.

In the wake of similar instances in our lives, we can identify with Marcus as we see personal freedoms and privacy taken away little by little.  We now take our shoes off and subjected to pat downs when we decide to take a flight.  Eventually all those little things that we said ‘It’s not that bad, it’s just a little thing’ will add up to a lot of personal freedoms lost but it will happen so slowly that we won’t really notice until it’s too late.

This book moves at a good pace, and excels at bringing the jargon and techno-babble to a level that even novices can understand.  Combined with the detailed afterword, those questions and ideas discussed in Doctorow’s book are now accessible to those that want to know more.  With our lives becoming increasingly intertwined with the internet and social media, it’s a good jumping off point for increasing our awareness of how to protect our privacy and our personal freedoms.

This is an excellent YA read, and I think that adults as well as teens will enjoy this book.  The audiobook version is well read and worth a listen.  Note that there are some intense scenes toward the end, but nothing that a teenager can’t understand and learn from in a positive way.

]]> http://urbanbachelorette.com/2011/09/13/review-little-brother-by-cory-doctorow/feed/ 0 http://urbanbachelorette.com/2011/09/11/note-to-self-dont-read-scary-books-before-bed/ http://urbanbachelorette.com/2011/09/11/note-to-self-dont-read-scary-books-before-bed/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 02:39:16 +0000 Amanda http://urbanbachelorette.com/?p=2177

Yesterday I sat down and finally watched Pandorum which had sat in my Netflix queue for some time now.  Let me say, this was better than I expected.  I wasn’t shocked or startled during it, but it was creepy nonetheless and worthy of the sci-fi/horror/thriller genres.  One this that I really enjoyed was not figuring out too far in advance the secret to Denis Quaid’s character.  I also had no idea where the ship was until the end which for a horror flick is good writing.

Last weekend a friend was in town and we all went to see Apollo 18 which sadly did not stand up to being even slightly good.  I have to give it props for at least some excellent writing/cinematography for actually startling me a couple of times, but past that, I wasn’t drawn in to care about the characters or the aliens.  Sad.

And now we come to the part of my story which prompted the title of this post.  I’m reading Ronald Malfi’s Floating Staircase which is quite good and while it has nothing to do with spiders (so far anyway) for some reason, reading a scary book before bed prompted some pretty creepy dreams last night for me.  I had a dream about smallish spiders that were in bright colors, didn’t spin webs, and just lay in wait for something to come along and attack.  They were under these tables and once discovered I also found some extremely large spiders which were no different from everyday spiders except for their size.  They also did not spin webs.  Anyway, the dream spent most of the time trying to get rid of said spiders which involved a cooking oil spray can device and a lighter.  Thankfully this was not real life as that method I’m sure would not have saved me from the spiders.

This is what they looked like.  More like the chitinous ones in pink than the others.

I hate spiders. Like arachnophobia, hate spiders.  So what did I do when I woke up this morning after this dream? I Googled ‘bright colored spiders’ and what did I find? The ambush spiders (some species are called crab spiders for the way they walk and look) which are pretty close to what I dreamed as far as size, color, etc. and they don’t spin webs.  Creepy!  I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen one of these in my life but I suppose my imagination is quite vivid giving my lifetime of reading and imagining.

So all in all it’s been a productive start to RIP VI.  I’ve two movies down and am working on a good book.  I will however intersperse something not scary to read before I fall asleep each night and leave the scary stories for other times of the day.

How are you doing on RIP VI?  Scaring yourself yet?

Between

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Jessica Warman

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Published by Walker Childrens, August 2011

Elizabeth Valchar—pretty, popular, and perfect—wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family’s yacht, where she’d been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and what lies in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect—or innocent. Critically acclaimed author Jessica Warman brings readers along on a roller-coaster ride of a mystery, one that is also a heartbreaking character study, a touching romance, and ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go.

I truly enjoyed reading Where the Truth Lies, Warman’s previous book to this, however, I loved this one.  I feel as if Warman is growing as a writer with each successive book.  Each one is unique and tells such a deep story that goes beyond the surface of what we, as readers, expect.

Liz was a truly wonderful character to follow and cheer for as the story unfolds.  Yes, she is a ‘princess’ at school, dating the most popular guys, friends with everyone, and a step-sister who is also her best friend, but as the story comes out, she is revealed as a real person.  She isn’t vapid and self-centered, and she really comes into her own as she learns just how superficial and fake her family and friends were before the night of her birthday.

I’m excited to see what Warman writes about next, as both of her books that I’ve read have left me loving both the books and the author.

Please click here to read my review of Where the Truth Lies.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack

Burton & Swinburne Trilogy Book 1

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Mark Hodder

(Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, Website, Twitter)

Published by Pyr, September 2010

London, 1861.

Sir Richard Francis Burton—explorer, linguist, scholar, and swordsman; his reputation tarnished; his career in tatters; his former partner missing and probably dead.

Algernon Charles Swinburne—unsuccessful poet and follower of de Sade; for whom pain is pleasure, and brandy is ruin!

They stand at a crossroads in their lives and are caught in the epicenter of an empire torn by conflicting forces: Engineers transform the landscape with bigger, faster, noisier, and dirtier technological wonders; Eugenicists develop specialist animals to provide unpaid labor; Libertines oppose repressive laws and demand a society based on beauty and creativity; while the Rakes push the boundaries of human behavior to the limits with magic, drugs, and anarchy. The two men are sucked into the perilous depths of this moral and ethical vacuum when Lord Palmerston commissions Burton to investigate assaults on young women committed by a weird apparition known as Spring Heeled Jack, and to find out why werewolves are terrorizing London’s East End.

Their investigations lead them to one of the defining events of the age, and the terrifying possibility that the world they inhabit shouldn’t exist at all!

It’s been a long time since I read a science fiction time travel novel.  I’m thankful that Pyr sent me a copy to read and review.  Hodder ‘s well thought out and researched history go a long way to make this novel not only unique but also frightfully entertaining.  I was drawn into the life of Burton as he goes from the recent news of his frenemy’s death to being assailed by Spring Heeled Jack in the murk of London.  From there he is pulled into the search for just who or what Jack is and how can they stop him from molesting young women.

Jack’s time travel plays an important role in the lives of the characters as well as his own life.  He’s trying to make right what went wrong many years ago (current period for most of the book) and yet while he is trying to fix his past, he is not only changing things, but also screwing up his failed attempt to correct his mistake again and again.  The book’s timeline is not confusing at all and I believe that can only be credited to Hodder’s masterful storytelling.  He is able to create believable characters and make them come alive in a London that could have been had things happened the way Hodder’s events unfold.

If you love a good sci-fi thriller/mystery or a good time travel book, I highly recommend this book.  I have the sequel sitting in my TBR pile and I hope to get it to the top of the pile soon.  I expect great things from the sequel and the upcoming third book in the trilogy.

I’m so excited to have decided to join the RIP VI challenge this year.  And I can’t believe it’s in its sixth year already.  Way to go!

So what is RIP VI for those that don’t know?  September 1st through October 31st you can choose to a level of participation and read and review books related to mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, gothic, horror, or supernatural genres.  Now I always re-read Frankenstein in October, so that is one of my books, and I figured what better way to get them on top of my TBR pile than to add my current books I picked up at ArmadilloCon to the list as well.

I’m choosing to do Peril the First which has a goal of four books, but I’m sure I’ll surpass that.

And they have a newer Peril entitled Peril on the Screen and well I love horror movies too so I’m going to review those that I watch during this time as well.

Let me know if you are participating in the comments and I’ll be sure to link up to your site when I post my reviews and other tidbits for this challenge.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

Janitors

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Tyler Whitesides

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Published by Shadow Mountain, July 2011

The magical, secretive society of JANITORS will sweep the country in the fall of 2011. Have you ever fallen asleep during math class? Are you easily distracted while listening to your English teacher? Do you find yourself completely uninterested in geography? Well, it may not be your fault. The janitors at Welcher Elementary know a secret, and it s draining all the smarts out of the kids.  Twelve year old Spencer Zumbro, with the help of his classmate Daisy Gullible Gates, must fight with and against a secret, janitorial society that wields wizard-like powers. Who can Spencer and Daisy trust and how will they protect their school and possibly the world? Janitors is book 1 in a new children s fantasy series by debut novelist Tyler Whitesides. You ll never look at a mop the same way again.

Let me just say I’m sad this book wasn’t out when I was in middle school.  I would have loved this book.  For me, the janitors at school were always this strange group of people who were always there but you may not ever talk to them.  There was an air of mystery about them.

And while that doesn’t hold true as we get older, but for those middle graders who read this book, I’m sure the story will draw them in and hook them on this series.  Whitesides mixes a little magic with everyday school age drama and creates a fresh story for younger readers.

If you have school age children, I would suggest you get a copy and read it to/with them.

Mister Creecher

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Chris Priestley

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

Published by Bloomsbury, September 2011

Billy is a street urchin, pickpocket and petty thief. Mister Creecher is a monstrous giant of a man who terrifies all he meets. Their relationship begins as pure convenience. But a bond swiftly develops between these two misfits as their bloody journey takes them ever northwards on the trail of their target … Victor Frankenstein.

Friendship, trust and betrayal combine to form a dangerous liaison in this moving and frightening new book from Chris Priestley.

As you might know, I am a big fan of Frankenstein in all forms.  My youngest dog, Victor is named for Victor Frankenstein.  Shelley’s original work is probably my most read book in my collection.  Each year around Halloween I re-read it.

While at the BEA, I was quite excited to find Mr. Creecher, a unique retelling of the Frankenstein story.  Shelley’s story skips over what happens to the monster as he is tracking Frankenstein through the world and Priestley’s story fills in that gap wonderfully.

The story is told from the point of view of a young pick pocket named Billy.  He and Mr. Creecher become friends and during the day Billy follows and tracks Victor Frankenstein and his companion through the streets of London as Mr. Creecher is unable to go unnoticed during the day.  Billy is quite unaware of how Frankenstein and Creecher are linked until well into the story and Priestley does a wonderful job keeping the readers hooked.

I read this quite fast and I really enjoyed the story.  The characters were very believable and whether you are young or old, if you have read and enjoyed Shelley’s Frankenstein I suggest you pick up Priestley’s book as you will not be sorry.

August 17, 2011 (Philadelphia, PA)—Quirk Books is pleased to announce the sequel to Ransom Riggs’s best-selling young-adult novel MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN, which has 325,000 units in print across all formats and has been translated into 13 languages with more to come. The book has been on the New York Times Best-Seller List for 9 weeks (as of August 21, 2011) and is #1 on the IndieBound Bestseller List for the week of August 14. Film rights to both books have been sold to 20th Century Fox, with Chernin Entertainment producing.

“We are thrilled that Ransom and Quirk Books will be working together again to take readers and fans deeper into the world of Miss Peregrine,” says David Borgenicht, president and publisher of Quirk Books. “Ransom is an incredibly talented writer and visionary, and there’s a lot more to explore together. I, for one, can’t wait to see where the second installment leads.”

Slated to be published in spring 2013, the untitled sequel to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will continue the story of the children on the remote Welsh island, incorporating a new set of vintage photographs to guide the story. “Ransom draws inspiration from photography, and he’s already collected more than a thousand images to help illuminate the story of the sequel,” says Jason Rekulak, Quirk’s creative director.  “Based on what he’s shared so far, I think we’ll be following these characters to some very peculiar places.”

The vintage photos are just one element of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children that has garnered the book critical acclaim and has led it to be chosen as one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Year So Far as well as an IndieBound Summer Pick. “The vintage-photo bug bit me hard while I was writing Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” says author Ransom Riggs, “and I’ve been collecting like a madman ever since. I think the photos in the second book will be even better than those in the first, and more exotic, too. It looks like the peculiar children have quite a journey ahead of them!”

Let’s start with the artists:

As expected, Dylan the awesome creator of Feeping Creatures was there with plenty of feeps and feep covered merchandise.  I didn’t get any new ones this time around, but I definitely saw some that are on my wish list now.  Dylan is off to NY Comic Con soon and so I wish his well and hope his hand heals well in advance so he can really enjoy his time there.

A new artist I met and talked with for a bit is Laura Garabedian.  I love her work.  I learned she is putting together artwork for a deck of cards and what I’ve seen so far has added that to my wish list as well.  I will be following her on Facebook so I can pre-order them as soon as it becomes available.

And now without further ado, the authors.

First up was Charles Martin from Literati Press.  I picked up his two books, Edward and the Island 

The End of the World isn’t the End of the Story. Sixty-three souls find themselves plucked from heaven and thrust into an experimental new universe. Haunted by the dark memories of their past lives on Earth and forced to live in an isolated community, a small group bands together to strike out into the new world and uncover the secrets of the Island.

and The Dominant Hand

An end-of-the-world cult forms around a charismatic, troubled rock musician who leads his followers deep into the woods east of Oklahoma. A mysterious series of events leaves 250 people dead and 4,238 people missing with no official explanation emerging from months of investigation.

The Dominant Hand assembles the stories of those affected by Jim Jacobs and his doomsday cult. This tell-all utilizes revolving perspective to reveal the events that led to the mysterious catastrophe whose true meaning has yet to be fully understood.

Record shop owners, journalists, Jacob’s estranged wife and other witnesses are all pulled into the cult’s downward spiral. They must unravel the twisted conspiracy in order to escape from the woods where the believers have assembled for the culmination of Jacob’s apocalyptic vision.

Both of these sound extremely interesting and I cannot wait to read them.

Next up is The End of Human Space by Russ Haywood.  If his book is half as interesting as the person I met, I’m sure this will be a good read worthy of my time to read and review.  He’s definitely full of personality.

A young man lost in the Great Stories, finds one of his own …

This factually grounded science fiction explores a mind-bending second front of Alien contact in a world where human governments have condemned conversations with Aliens as illegal. Yet an unlikely group of adventurers has cut through the wires of a cultural fence to make a stunning discovery of an ancient biotechnology interwoven into their very ecosystem.

At the table next to Haywood, I met J. Paul Rinnan who was also promoting his book.  Republic Lost has quite an interesting description.  I have read a bit about Plato lately so I expect this to also be a good story.  Rinnan was a pleasure to speak with and very excited to have his book read and reviewed.  Keep an eye out for it in the next few weeks.

Imagine a future where Plato’s “Republic” becomes terrifying reality. Nuclear war has left the world in ruins. The coasts of the United States are flooded, and rainforest has extended as far as Colorado. Humans survive in the rubble of their former cities, in anarchist communes, or as feudal bandits. Only the Republic remains. Ruled by philosopher-kings and their super-computer, Kabiri-36, the Republic is a technological superpower, controlling knowledge, weather, matter, and humanity.

Lastly, I met Victoria from LJS&S Publishing who was promoting The Immune.  This one sounds like one I’ll have a hard time not reading right away.  (I did get a lot of books today, so I’m going to have to figure out what to read first.)

A biological crisis of epic proportions threatens the world. Genetically manufactured creatures, called airwars, attack and kill at random. Despite having captured and sequestered the airwar’s creator, a hastily formed world government appears to be more effective in consolidating power than in managing the crisis. Hope emerges when a navy admiral discovers there are individuals born genetically immune to the deadly stings of the creatures. As the “immunes” struggle to protect humanity, they bemoan escalating governmental control. There is, however, one key immune with the intelligence and leadership to look beyond the crisis. As the government unfolds its secret plans to end the crisis, the future of humanity may well rest on his shoulders.

I hit up a panel as well which I’ll write about later and I’m planning to go back again this evening for a few others that I’m excited about.

All in all, I seem to have done pretty well today, despite the eye.  Hopefully it will go away soon and I can enjoy the rest of the con tonight and tomorrow.

And if that isn’t enough to wet your whistle, there is an excellent article in this week’s Austin Chronicle about those big names that will be there this year as well.

Head on over to: “Steam Versus Cyber at ArmadilloCon” to read the full story.

Apocrypha

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

by Catherynne M. Valente

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website, Twitter)

Published by Prime Books, 2005

Apocrypha: Catherynne M. Valente’s first full-length poetry collection, where freaks, emperors, bodhisattvas, beasts, witches, wicked stepmothers, Greek heroes, told seductively and wickedly in poem and prose, jostle and vie for supremacy. It contains the long prose poem, Z, as well as numerous other pieces.

This is my first venture into the poetry by Valente.  But like her writing, it’s both simple and complex, ugly and beautiful, and overall amazing.  I found myself drawn to the events she describes, the people, the places, the emotions, and I even found one or two that I loved so much I’ve read them multiple times since I finished the whole series.

Out of the whole book, “Still Life with Wicked Stepmother,” “Song for Three Voices and a Lyre,” and “Requiescat” were my ultimate favorites.  I found that Valente has links on her website to some of the poems from this collection and so they are linked here so that you might be drawn into reading more from her.

“Memoirs of a Girl Who Failed to Be Born From a Peach,” from Pedestal Magazine, 2005

“The Emperor of Tsukayama Park”

“Suzuri,” from Pedestal Magazine, 2004

“Song for Three Voices and a Lyre,” from The Fund for Women’s Artists

I hope you enjoy these as much as I have.  And tomorrow I will review another of her poetry collections, Oracles: A Pilgrimage.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, click here.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland

in a Ship of Her Own Making

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website)

by Catherynne M. Valente

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website, Twitter)

Published by Feiwel & Friends, May 2011

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t … then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

Deathless

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Catherynne M. Valente

(Amazon, Goodreads, Website, Twitter)

Published by TOR Books, March 2011

Koschei the Dealthless is to Russian foklore what devils or wicked witches are to western European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories that have been passed on through story and text for generations.  But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.

Deathless, however is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing.  Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power.  All told, Deathless, is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

I was fascinated by this book. I had read a blurb about it long before it was released to the public, and have had it on my wishlist ever since.  Thankfully, when I decided to actually buy some of the books on my wishlist, this was at the top and was immediately transferred to the cart.  The long wait and anticipation of this book was well worth it.

The book starts out about a young girl, Marya Morevna, who waits by the window and sees as various birds fall from the tree in front of her house, turn into a handsome young man who comes searching for the girl who sits by the window, only to have her mother mistaken them to mean one of Marya’s older sisters.  Each sister is taken away and Marya sits and waits for her bird to come.

What a lovely start to a book. You can read an excerpt by clicking the link below and get drawn into the story yourself.

As the story progresses, you meet a myriad of strange and unique creatures and characters.  Upon doing some research into the story and Russian mythology, I learned that a lot of the characters are from various Russian folklore and you can see that Valente did her research and not only drew a unique telling of the story that inspired Deathless, but expounded upon it making it a full-fledged story of Marya Morevna who only plays a bit part in the story of Ivan of the original folktale.

At times heartbreaking, this story uses the folklore set amidst a backdrop of Stalinist Russia.  Giving you a well balanced mix of history and folklore, the story could not have been better.  There were times I found myself re-reading a section not because it was hard to understand, but because some of the passages are so well written and vivid that I didn’t want to let them go just yet.  And now that it’s been a few days since I finished reading it and with the story still fresh in my mind, I am very tempted to pick it back up and read it for a second time.

That is a rarity for me.  There are many books on my keeper shelves that I will read over and over, but there is always a lapse of time, a couple months, a couple years, before I can pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did on the first reading.  With Deathless however, I feel that I would not only enjoy it as much as the first reading, but so much more so to read it again in such a short time.

If you have read any of Valente’s works, you will certainly enjoy her telling of Marya Morevna’s story.  If you haven’t, I can’t imagine a better book to start your fascination with such a gifted writer.

Click here for an interview with Valente and learn her inspiration for Deathless.

Click here to read an excerpt from Deathless.

Congratulations to all the winners!

The winners are as follows:

Best Novel
Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis

Best Novella
The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang

Best Novelette
“The Emperor of Mars” by Allen M. Steele

Best Short Story
“For Want of a Nail” by Mary Robinette Kowal

Best Related Work
Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It edited by Lynne M. Thomas and Tara O’Shea

Best Graphic Story
Girl Genius, Volume 10: Agatha Heterodyne and the Guardian Muse written by Phil and Kaja Foglio with art by Phil Foglio and colors by Cheyenne Wright

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Inception, written and directed by Christopher Nolan

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Doctor Who: “The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang” written by Steven Moffat and directed by Toby Haynes

Best Editor, Short Form
Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form
Lou Anders

Best Professional Artist
Shaun Tan

Best Semiprozine
Clarkesworld edited by Neil Clarke, Cheryl Morgan, Sean Wallace with podcast directed by Kate Baker

Best Fanzine
The Drink Tank edited by Christopher J Garcia and James Bacon

Best Fan Writer
Claire Brialey

Best Fan Artist
Brad W. Foster

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Lev Grossman

The Changing Definition of Urban Fantasy — This subgenre label has been around for several decades, and it’s being applied to stuff now that would have been out of bounds in the 80s. What does it mean, and what does it include and exclude?

The Ascendance of Female Writers in 2011: Why They Dominated Award Ballots — Female writers had not been getting a lot Hugo and Nebula nominations over the last decade or so. This year they received most of the nominations for major awards. What are new and veteran female authors doing now that’s generating so much attention?

Steampunk as a Fashion Movement — What is it about this neo-retro look that’s captured so much interest in fandom and even spread to TV shows like Castle?

Pyr Presentation 

SF 101: A Reading List for a College Course — Suppose you got to teach a cool class on science fiction as literature. What important works do you think students should read and like?

The Rise of Steampunk Fiction — The term for this subgenre was first coined 30 years ago, but it’s only taken off recently. What are the essential early and recent works, and where is this literary movement going?

What You Should Have Read in 2010–2011 — Our annual rundown of the year’s best.

How Much Interaction Should Writers Have with Their Readers? — Spending time with your readers in person and online can be good for your ego and an effective way to promote your work. How do you keep it from taking too much time and negatively affecting your creative process?

Cyberpunk: How it Influenced Fiction, Technology, and the World - Cyberpunk was a hugely visible literary movement that started in the 80s. It caused readers to think about the role of technology in their lives in entirely different ways. What were the results?

Only a few more days till it’s here and it looks like the BF might be going with me one of the days to check out some panels that interest him as well as one or two on my schedule that conflict with each other so he can take notes for me.

(Amazon, Goodreads)

by Ransom Riggs

(Amazon, Goodreads, Twitter, Website)

Published by Quirk Books, June 2011

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here—one of whom was his own grandfather—were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

This was an extraordinary book.  I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had only perused it while at the booth at the BEA this past May.  I only knew that I wanted to read it because the cover was intriguing.  I wasn’t to disappointed.  I was expecting more of an adult story, but while the story was more young adult and not what was expected, it was very good nonetheless.  The story is well developed and you are drawn into the story of the orphanage just as Jacob is and you begin rooting for him from the beginning.  As the story unfolds, you are greeted with pictures of the characters of the orphanage, and yet you wonder, are they real?  I strongly believe that without the pictures, this story would have been one that was tossed aside and did not create such buzz as has been surrounding this book.

The story leaves with a good cliff-hanger, but also, if Riggs should not write a sequel, the book can stand on its own and still be fantastic.

As for the pictures, I wondered throughout if they were Photoshopped for the book or if they were real photos.  They certainly have certain realistic qualities to them.  I was happy to learn in a note at the back, that other than a few edits to a couple of the pictures (so they fit into the story line), they are all original and untouched pictures from times past.  I have to wonder if Riggs had the idea for the story and then found the photos or if the photos inspired the story.  Either way, Riggs use of the photos to illustrate the story draw the reader into the world of Jacob and the peculiar children.  I would be happy to meet some of these peculiar children myself.

This one made it to my keeper shelf because of the pictures and the story.  The details, the photos, the story, they all drew me in and I know that I will want to re-read and re-live the story over and over again.  Needless to say, you should read this book.

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