M is for Mouse

As in Mickey Mouse.  Lately I have been obsessed with planning my trip to Orlando and my one day in Disney World.  It has brought back many memories of childhood trips to Disneyland with my family.  We used to go every couple of years or so, as it was only a day's drive, and my mom always wanted to go to California for the beach.  I can remember getting up at 4 a.m. to start the drive - we would stop for breakfast along the way - and getting to our hotel in the late afternoon.  Then we would get to swim before dinner.  The next day would be Disneyland - with our first stop at the hat shop to get the Mickey ears and have them personalized.  When we were very little we would go back to the hotel after lunch for a rest and a swim, then return to the park for the parade and fireworks.  My favorite treat was the ice cream on a stick.  I can remember the A, B, C, D and E tickets, and when they started the "flat rate" ticket pricing when you had to show your pass at every ride.  

 

When I was in high school, the academic team I was on got to go to Florida (twice) for a competition.  One year we went to Epcot, the next year we went to the Magic Kingdom.  I remember those trips, but they are not as vivid as the childhood ones to Disneyland.

Strong and intense

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Best Valentine Ever

This is the Valentine I got from my nephew - too cute!

Some stuff I found around the internets

If you like coffee, and would like a Senseo machine for only the cost of shipping, head over here and fill out the survey. If they choose you, you just pay $15 and they ship you a Senseo machine and some of the coffee pods and a canister to hold them in. I have mine already - it really works! (Be sure to use an email you check regularly, because that's how you find out if you've been chosen and get the link to pay the $15.)

If you'd like a $5 gift card to Sears just for signing up for their email ads, go here. I just heard about it today. For this, I used an email I don't check as often.

Enjoy!

NaBloPoMo Redux

So NaBloPoMo is up again, and has moved beyond November. The details are here. I think I'll join up - after all, I'm doing Blog 365 so I'll be posting every day anyway! The theme for March is "lists" - could be interesting!

BTT: After the Honeymoon

From Booking through Thursday:

Here’s something for Valentine’s Day.

Have you ever fallen out of love with a favorite author? Was the last book you read by the author so bad, you broke up with them and haven’t read their work since? Could they ever lure you back?

I have a couple that I can think of: Patricia Cornwell and Robin Cook. Also Diana Gabaldon. All of them started off great, then turned formulaic and their editors stopped editing them. Michael Crichton is very close to being put on this list for me as well. I keep hoping he has another Andromeda Strain in him. So I guess he's just "on notice," while the others are "dead to me." (Hat tip to Stephen Colbert. Hee.)

Online Book Group

Becky is running an online book group in March for Sense and Sensibility - I think I'll give it a try. (This month she's doing Their Eyes Were Watching God, but I'm passing on that.)

TBR updates

Currently reading:
Intern - by Sandeep Jauhaur
The Winter Rose - Jennifer Donnelly
Hammered - Elizabeth Bear

TBR (in no particular order):
My Year of Meats - Ruth Ozeki
Nekropolis - Maureen McHugh
The City, Not Long After - Pat Murphy
Scardown - Elizabeth Bear
After This - Alice McDermott
Firefly Lane - Kristin Hannah
Dust - Charles Pellegrino

Abandoned:
One Month to Live - Kerry & Chris Shook (This reminded me a lot of The Purpose Driven Life, which is not necessarily a good thing. I had to read Purpose Driven life in my prior life as a church secretary, and I did not enjoy it. I'm not a particularly religious person, and I especially don't care for the super-simplified version Rick Warren propounds. Christianity is complex, and I prefer my religion to be more private.)

My Soul to Keep - Melanie Wells (Mostly I disliked it because I don't care for mysteries in general. This one has a Christian slant, which on its own isn't enough to make me set it aside. However, this is also the second in a series, and I have not read the first one.)

Passport to the World

I got my shiny new passport in the mail today! If I had known how free it would make me feel I would have applied for one years ago. Now I just have to decide where to go first - and when!

Sunday Fun

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Eminence the Very Viscountess Janiejane the Foamy of Ofsted in the Bucket Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

17

That's how many books I have out from the library right now. So...I guess I should read some of them. Enjoy your Saturday!

Friday Fill-In

As seen at Musings of a Bookish Kitty:

1. I'm looking forward to spending the weekend reading and shopping!
2. Italy is a place I always wanted to visit and haven't made it there yet.
3. I've fallen in love with bargain hunting on the internet. Ebay, especially.
4. Six of one is half a-dozen of another is one of my favorite sayings.
5. Addiction is an overused word.
6. The stories my nephew tells crack me up! He tells very detailed stories about what happened in preschool, etc. He has a real eye for detail.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm vegetating in front of the TV, tomorrow my plans include hitting the mall and Sunday, I'll do laundry and other housecleaning, and read!

BTT: But, enough about books

From Booking Through Thursday:

Okay, even I can’t read ALL the time, so I’m guessing that you folks might voluntarily shut the covers from time to time as well… What else do you do with your leisure to pass the time? Walk the dog? Knit? Run marathons? Construct grandfather clocks? Collect eggshells?

What do I do when I'm not reading books? Read stuff about books online. Watch a lot of TV (sometimes while reading, though). Play video games on the computer or on the DS Lite. When my nephew comes over: play trains, or hide-and-seek, or Monopoly, or Parcheesi. (He shares my love for board games.) Watch movies.

One of the more unusual quizzes:

You Should Paint Your Room Orange

Fiery and fresh, an orange room brings intense happiness. Your orange room will set a positive vibe - and brighten up any gathering. Orange also promotes healthy communication... and stimulates the appetite!

What Color Should You Paint Your Room?

The Break-Up Diet - Annette Fix

I received an advance copy of this through Library Thing, and I really enjoyed it. This is a memoir of a woman who survives a break-up and comes out the other side a better person, with a better relationship. The "twist" of the story is that she is a single mom who is making ends meet by topless dancing while trying to establish herself as a writer. I'm so glad she was able to persevere in the writing, because she has a very fresh, easy style that is fun to read and quite entertaining. The "recipes" for things such as "doubt cake" and "guilt stew" are very clever.

The author's website has some pretty entertaining break-up stories, and a quiz, as well as some other fun stuff.

Overall, one of the more entertaining things I've read lately.

Suze Orman

In keeping with my wish to become more financially aware, I read four Suze Orman books over the weekend. Well, skimmed really, but that's all I was planning to do. I read:
Women and Money
Ask Suze
The 9 Steps to Financial Success
The Courage to be Rich

I have seen her show on CNBC, so I was familiar with her style. I thought the books were fairly informative and straightforward, although it was mostly information I already knew. She advocates keeping your records in order and paying off credit card debt, both of which I think are valuable. She's more aggressive with the investments than I am right now, but I think I'll get to a point where I'm more comfortable with that. I have an employer paid retirement right now, but I want to open a Roth IRA this year. I think her advice to become knowledgable and take control of your finances is good, and she seems intent on empowering women to do this especially. In terms of basic knowledge, I think these are good books. They are repetitive, so one probably only needs to read one of them to get the idea.

Lazy Sunday Meme

Here are the rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

The closest book was "The Stand" by Stephen King. The sentences are:
"A doctor in Sipe Springs had made some good guesses, and a pair of reporters for a Houston daily had linked what was happening in Sipe Springs with what had already happened in Arnette, Verona, Commerce city, and a town called Polliston, Kansas. Those were the towns where the problem had gotten so bad so fast that the army had been called in to quarantine. The computer had a list of twenty-five other towns in ten states where traces of Blue were beginning to show up."

I love these memes because the are so random: like the Exquisite Corpse game the Surrealists used to play. I confess we used to spend hours playing that in college; we were such geeks. I won't tag anyone, but you are welcome to play and post in the ocmments if you do!

Library Meme

I saw this over at Becky's Book Reviews and it looked like fun:

February is Library Lovers' Month)

How do you plan on celebrating Library Lovers month?
By visiting the library as usual!

How often do you accidentally spell library as 'libary' when you're in a hurry?
Well, I thought my answer would be "never" but I did it once while writing the opening to this post, so...

What is the most amount of books you've ever had checked out at one time?

From the university library as an undergrad, I think I had 50 or so out at once while working on my senior thesis. Students in the Honors Program were allowed unlimited checkouts, and the due date was the end of the semester instead of 3 weeks, so I accumulated a lot of books. My roommate and I loaded up her car with all of our books at the end of the semester and returned them all at once.

From the public library, I think 25 or so. I think they limit us to 30, so I try to stay well within that!

What is the longest you've ever gone without visiting the library?
Maybe two weeks? Right now I'm spoiled because I can put books on hold at the library and my mom will go pick them up for me, because they let us link our cards together. So I don't have to go, but still get the library books!

What is the biggest fine you've ever had?

I had to pay to replace two audio books because they were in my car when it was destroyed in a parking lot fire.

Oh, you want the rest of that story? Okay:
It was my last day of work at this company. I parked in a different spot than usual, because I scored a shady spot after lunch. The person who owned the car that was parked next to mine took their smoke break in their car. After they lit their cigarette, they tossed the match into the back seat (apparently thinking it would go out by itself?) and it landed on some newspaper in the back seat. They tried to put it out, but failed, and by the time the fire department got there my car and the car next to mine (as well as the original car) were all totally engulfed in flames. Of course, I didn't know anything about it until they evacuated our building "due to a fire in the parking lot." And there was my poor car.


Have you ever been shushed or hushed by a librarian?
In high school, more than I'd like to remember. The public library now doesn't seem to have a noise policy, unfortunately.

What is the worst (against-the-rules) thing you've ever done in the library?
Eating lunch in the law school library.

What's the worst thing you've ever done to a library book?
Nothing intentional.

Have you ever had a "favorite" librarian?
My dad was a librarian, so I guess he wins!

If you could change one thing about your library it would be...
I wish they had the budget to have a wider variety of books, and more magazines. Also that they had a noise policy.

Friday's Feast

From Friday's Feast:

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of cereal?
Rice Krispies, but only while they are still crisp - I don't like the soggy ones at the bottom of the bowl.

Soup
When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?
Do books count? I consider them part of the house! I just received "The City, Not Long After" from Amazon on Monday, and it's in my room on my giant TBR pile.

Salad
What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?
I love the Geico commercial where the lizard is talking to the jellyfish. It makes me laugh every time. Of course, I have a strange sense of humor. Maybe not the funniest I've ever seen, but right up there.



Main Course
Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).
Paprika Panda.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______.
I haven't been on a vacation since 2002. This explains why I am so excited about my trip in May!

BTT: Quirky

From Booking Through Thursday:

Sometimes I find eccentric characters quirky and fun, other times I find them too unbelievable and annoying. What are some of the more outrageous characters you’ve read, and how do you feel about them?

I generally don't care for characters that have something odd about them just for the sake of something odd. On the other hand, I do like eccentricities and things that make a character seem real and different. I can't think of a particular character at the moment though. I guess Dumbledore (from Harry Potter) counts as an eccentric, and I LOVE him.

Backyard garden

Flashback Tuesday

Via Wil Wheaton:
He links to 3 hours of MTV from 1983 - for those of us who remember when they played music - and it includes commercials!

TBR additions

I have 3 new ARCs to add to the TBR pile: "The Break-Up Diet" by Annette Fix; "My Soul to Keep" by Melanie Wells; and "One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life" by Kerry and Chris Shook. I also just ordered and received "The City, Not Long After" by Pat Murphy. They all look like pretty fast reads, so hopefully I can add some reviews to the blog soon!

Sunday quiz

Your Travel Personality Is: Easygoing

When you travel, you're looking for a lot of downtime. Vacations are your chance to recoup. All you need is a scenic spot and plenty of time on your hands. You'll figure out the rest. You're not one to make lots of plans when you travel. You just follow whatever path seems right.

What's Your Travel Personality?

Another meme

As seen at the hidden side of a leaf (original source is Eva):

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

Water for Elephants comes to mind - I just can't bring myself to pick it u p. I've been burned too many times by lots of positive reviews that get my hopes up, I guess.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

How about a nice dinner party, and I'll invite Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice (for lively conversation), Andrew Wiggin from Ender's Game (for deeper philosophy), and Harry Potter to protect us from the dark forces?

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

Anything recent by John Grisham.

Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?

The Odyssey - this was assigned for a college class, and I managed to not read it and still pass the exam.

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to ‘reread’ it that you haven’t? Which book?

Wuthering Heights - I have this on my shelf, but I've never read it. Of course I know the story, so that makes me think I've read it.

You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (if you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead of personalise the VIP)

This is tough - I think Harry Potter, because it's so accessible, and has a good message about heroism and family as well.

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

Japanese, because I would like to someday go to Tokyo and be able to read the street signs.

A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

Bellwether by Connie Willis - it never fails to amuse me.

I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

I've discovered so many books from reading other people's blogs - my TBR pile is always getting taller! It's good to be part of a community that enjoys books.

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

It would have shelves on every wall, and big comfy chairs to sit in, with lots of light from windows and lamps. It would still have my mix of nice hardcovers and regular paperbacks, but they would be arranged by genre, I think. And there would be a designated place for books that I didn't want to keep but were ready to pass along to someone else. And there would be lots of chairs for friends!

Masterpiece...

I'm not the only one who noticed they dropped the "Theatre" from "Masterpiece Theatre." Television Without Pity says it better than I can...

BTT: Huh?

This week's Booking through Thursday:

"What’s your favorite book that nobody else has heard of? You know, not Little Women or Huckleberry Finn, not the latest best-seller . . . whether they’ve read them or not, everybody “knows” those books. I’m talking about the best book that, when you tell people that you love it, they go, “Huh? Never heard of it?”

Most of my favorite books are unknown to people who don't read science fiction: "Bellwether" by Connie Willis and "Beggars in Spain" by Nancy Kress come to mind. I managed to get my sister to read Bellwether, even though she "doesn't like sci-fi."

In other news, this blog might now have been "outed" to my mother - I got a book in the mail today addressed to "Janiejane" (not my real name, of course) and she asked about it. I told her it was a name I used on the internets. So, if she googles the name and finds this: "Hi mom!"

Games

I made the mistake of checking Ebay for Nintendo games (for my little DS lite). It turns out it's a pretty good source of used games. I love video games but hate to spend very much money on them, especially because I get tired of them quickly. I managed to get Tetris, which was my favorite on the old Nintendo NES. Big mistake. However I have discovered my reflexes aren't what they used to be - or the keypad isn't as sensitive - because I can no longer make it past level 8 on Tetris, and can't escape the ghosts on Pacman. Still, they are fun to play!

Heh.

You Should Be a Politician

Confident, assertive, and dedicated - you know what you want in life and how to get it. Stubborn and opinionated, you can stand your ground... even if it's unpopular. And while you have strong views, you never overwhelm people with your opinions. A true charmer, you subtly influence people into seeing things your way. You do best when you: - Work according to your own rules - Can change the world with what you do You would also be a good lawyer or talk show host.

What Should You Be When You Grow Up?

Punching In - Alex Frankel

The subtitle of this is: "The Unauthorized Adventures of a Front-Line Employee."

The author spent a year working at various retail-type jobs, and recorded his experiences. He worked at UPS, Starbucks, Gap, the Apple Store, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The behind-the-scenes aspect of this was interesting, but I was expecting more of a "Nickel and Dimed" approach. This is a journalistic account, rather than a sociological approach, but it was still interesting.

Personality

Your Personality is Very Rare (INTJ)

Your personality type is logical, uncompromising, independent, and nonconformist. Only about 3% of all people have your personality, including 2% of all women and 4% of all men. You are Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

I did it!

I bought tickets and booked a hotel for a trip by myself this May! My excuse is a friend's wedding in Orlando, and I'll also be spending a day in Disney World. I can't wait! I haven't been to Disney World since high school, so I am looking forward to that - maybe even more than the wedding!

Friday's Feast

Find it here:

Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?
Margaritas!! Coffee runs a close second, though.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.
My computer desk at home has a pencil holder (full of pens, pencils, a lint roller, and a letter opener), a CD holder, and a calculator. It used to have a cute little stuffed ladybug, but my nephew talked me out of it and it now resides at his house. How did he do that? "Auntie, I don't have a stuffed ladybug." "Would you like one?" "Yes, please." How could I resist?

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?
No idea.

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?
Stress: Having little or no control over the outcome of a situation.
Calms: Books!

BTT: Let's Review

From Booking Through Thursday:

How much do reviews (good and bad) affect your choice of reading? If you see a bad review of a book you wanted to read, do you still read it? If you see a good review of a book you’re sure you won’t like, do you change your mind and give the book a try?

I do like to read reviews, and sometimes I am influenced by them. If I read a good review, it does inspire me to put the book on my list of books to read (at least) or to pick up a copy at the first opportunity. I found "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card through a review in the campus newspaper. I probably would not have even given it a second glance otherwise. And I do sometimes decide not to read a book based on a review, although I do look carefully to see what it was the reviewer didn't like and decide if that is something that is important to me or not. I use that for movie reviews as well.

American Idol

American Idol is a guilty pleasure of mine - even the early audition episodes. However, I think they should stop showing the completely oddball people, because it only encourages even stranger people to show up at the next round of auditions, and then THEY get shown on TV, and it's a vicious cycle. I'd much rather watch the marginal singers and the good singers, and not so much the guy dressed up as Princess Leia from Return of the Jedi. I wish I were making that up.

Go Your Own Way - ed. by Faith Conlon et al

The full title is "Go Your Own Way: Women Travel the World Solo" and the editors are Faith Conlon, Ingrid Emerick and Christina Henry de Tessan.

I have been contemplating the value of traveling alone, and I found this collection of essays while browsing around Amazon. Some of the essays are better than others, but overall this is a very inspiring collection of personal accounts of women's experiences while traveling alone. My grandmother was an adventurous traveler, and I want to follow in her footsteps. She had a good friend who traveled with her - they were both widows, both interested in history and archeology, and were a good match. The only person in my circle of friends and family that is a good match for me is my sister, and she has a husband and child she doesn't want to leave behind while traveling. I'm not willing to wait, so I guess I'll have to strike out on my own! I found these essays to be inspiring, as I said, and I recommend the collection to anyone who likes travel, whether alone or in a group.

Persuasion - Jane Austen

I watched Persuasion on "Masterpiece" (when did they drop the "Theatre"?) on PBS last night.  It has been awhile since I read the book, but I thought this was an adequate film version.  It was very short - I think only 80 minutes of actual story - so the story was quite condensed.  I had trouble telling who some of the characters were supposed to be.  I thought Anne and Captain Wentworth were well-cast.  Anthony Head was great as her dad - I've liked him since the old Taster's Choice commercials.  Overall, it made me want to re-read the book, which is not a bad thing.

100th post!

Short Form

As seen at SF Signal - the table of contents for The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Fifth Annual Collection:

1. "Finisterra" by David Moles
2. "Lighting Out" by Ken Macleod
3. "The Ocean Is A Snowflake Four Billion Miles Away" by John Barnes
4. "Saving Tiamaat" by Gweyneth Jones
5. "Of Late I Dreamt Of Venus" by James Van Pelt
6. "Verthandi's Ring" by Ian Mcdonald
7. "Sea Change" by Una Mccormack
8. "The Sky Is Large and the Earth Is Small" by Chris Roberson
9. "Glory" by Greg Egan
10. "Against The Current" by Robert Silverberg
11. "Alien Archeology" by Neal Asher
12. "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang
13. "Beyond The Wall" by Justin Stanchfield
14. "Kiosk" by Bruce Sterling
15. "Last Contact" by Stephen Baxter
16. "The Sledge-Maker's Daughter" by Alastair Reynolds
17. "Sanjeev and Robotwallah" by Ian Mcdonald
18. "The Skysailor's Tale" by Michael Swanwick
19. "Of Love and Other Monsters" by Vandana Singh
20. "Steve Fever" by Greg Egan
21. "Hellfire at Twilight" by Kage Baker
22. "The Immortals of Atlantis" by Brian Stableford
23. "Nothing Personal" by Pat Cadigan
24. "Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear
25. "The Accord" by Keith Brooke
26. "Laws of Survival" by Nancy Kress
27. "The Mists of Time" by Tom Purdom
28. "Craters" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
29. "The Prophet of Flores" by Ted Kosmatka
30. "Stray" by Benjamin Rosenbaum & David Ackert
31. "Roxie" by Robert Reed
32. "Dark Heaven" by Gregory Benford

I love short-form SF. It has always been a way for me to discover new authors, and the short form is a fun challenge. The author has to pack a lot of information into a few words, and the reader is expected to keep up! I'm especially looking forward to the Nancy Kress, Gregory Benford, Kristine Kathryn Rusch and the Stephen Baxter, but I look forward to reading something from new-to-me authors as well!

Left-Brain

You Are 75% Left Brained, 25% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

As seen at 1morechapter.

I do like reading and quiet, but I prefer cats to dogs.

BTT: May I Introduce?

1. How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?
2. Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?

Most of my favorites I discovered myself by stumbling across the book at a bookstore or library.  I do recall my best friend handing me "Nine Princes in Amber" by Roger Zelazny and telling me "You have to read this!"  She was so right - it remains one of my favorites.  The later books in the series are not as good as the first 5, and it pains me every time I remember that he passed away so there is no chance of future books from him. 

Birth Order

You Are Likely a First Born

At your darkest moments, you feel guilty. At work and school, you do best when you're researching. When you love someone, you tend to agree with them often. In friendship, you are considerate and compromising. Your ideal careers are: business, research, counseling, promotion, and speaking. You will leave your mark on the world with discoveries, new information, and teaching people to dream.

The Birth Order Predictor

This is true: I am a first born. Not all of the description is true, but it's pretty close!

Empire - Orson Scott Card

I picked this up from the "new paperbacks" rack at the bookstore, and I really wish I had tried to get it at the library instead. I only made it through the first 75 pages, and I am not going to finish it. I thought Card would be a safe bet, despite the decreasing quality of his "Ender" series, but this by far is his worst. The premise from the back of the book sounds very interesting, unfortunately he doesn't execute it. It is pedantic, with cardboard characters and a preposterous yet confusing plot.

TBR to be

I have been on a book-ordering kick for a few days and here's what I have on the way to me:

From Paperbackswap:
Dark Ages America - Morris Berman
My Year of Meats - Ruth Ozeki
The Rest Falls Away: the Gardella Vampire Chronicles - Colleen Gleason
Mythology - Edith Hamilton (to replace the tattered copy I have)
Stranger in a Strange Land - Heinlein (another replacement - my copy is being held together by packing tape!)

From Amazon:
Intern - Sanjeep Jauhar (a rare hardcover purchase for me)
Go Your Own Way: Women Travel the World Solo - Faith Conlon (I think I need to get out more!)

and on reserve at the library:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid
War Trash - Ha Jin
Punching in : the unauthorized adventures of a front-line employee - Alex Frankel.

I guess I'll be busy!

Sunday Photo

This little bit of summer has survived through a couple of frosty mornings. It's a nice bit of color on a gray day today.

LibraryThing

I finally upgraded to a paid account on LibraryThing, and ordered a CueCat scanner from them. The scanner arrived today, and I started cataloging my books (there is now a link to my library in the sidebar!) I only made it through two of my three bookshelves, but I hope to finish tomorrow. The scanner really helps - I did over 200 books today, and typing them would have been much slower. I do have a surprising number of books that predate bar codes, and also some that don't have ISBNs, so I did have to key in a few, but overall the scanner made it pretty fast and fun. I will have to go through and add tags and comments to the books. This will be the first time I've known exactly how many books I have!

Not exactly one-of-a-kind

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 28 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

BTT: Anticipation

What new books are you looking forward to most in 2008? Something new being published this year? Something you got as a gift for the holidays? Anything in particular that you’re planning to read in 2008 that you’re looking forward to? A classic, or maybe a best-seller from 2007 that you’re waiting to appear in paperback?


I'm looking forward to the new Maria Doria Russell - "Dreamers of the Day." And I haven't given up hope that David Gerrold will someday release the next installment of "The War Against the Chtorr." He claims on his website to be writing it, but it appears to not have been updated since 2004.

The Nine - Jeffrey Toobin

Subtitle: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

The author managed to get a great behind-the-scenes look at the current Supreme Court. He has great insight into the philosophy and worldview of each justice, and how this was and is reflected in their decisionmaking. I love books about the Court, and this one was very readable and brought many of the recent cases to life.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Year End

This is one of my overstuffed bookshelves - you might also guess that I got a digital camera for Christmas! So prepare yourself for many more pictures!

I've been going through my TBR pile, and I'm trying to decide what challenges to accept for the year. (Suggestions are welcome!) I'm hoping to do some that allow me to use books I already have, but I do feel a need to expand my horizons a bit. One thing I want to do is read more personal finance books. This is an area of my life I've been neglecting for far too long. I just successfully paid off all of my credit card debt, but now I'm facing student loan debt and the fact that I have very little saved for retirement.

I did get a surprise ARC in the mail - "The Winter Rose" by Jennifer Donnelly. I think that'll be first on my list to read.

I am considering doing the super NaNoWriMo: Blog 365. It seems like a big commitment, but possible.

Happy Holidays!

I'm getting over a cold, so that has slowed down my Christmas preparations somewhat. However, I am done shopping and wrapping and decorating; all that remains is the baking, which I should finish today. I hope you all are enjoying family and friends however you like to celebrate!

The Memory of Running - Ron McLarty

My hairdresser gave me this book because she enjoyed it, and I'm very glad she did. This is an unusual story about a man who loses his parents in a car accident, then goes on a journey by bicycle across the country to find his sister, who disappeared years ago. Naturally, this is a story of his self-discovery along the way, and about shedding the past to step into the future. It's told mostly through flashbacks, as we learn about his family and what led up to this point. This was fairly easy read, and the prose seemed very natural. Ron McLarty is an actor, but he is also a gifted writer.

World Without End - Ken Follett

This is the sequel to "Pillars of the Earth" that we didn't know we were waiting for. At 1000+ pages, it seemed quite long, and did drag a bit in places, but overall it was enjoyable. His characters were interesting, but as usual the good guys were very good, and the bad guys were very bad - no shades of grey, no doubt about motives, no chance at redemption. One reason I did pick it up was that it covers the time of the Black Death in England, although we don't get to that until very far into the book, and I don't think he conveyed the scope of it very well. Still, it was an entertaining read. He clearly did a lot of research to prepare for it; I learned how they dyed wool at the time, for example. There are some things that seemed to strain my credulity a bit - contrived situations just because he wanted to use the research he had done, for example - and more complicated characters would have been more realistic. Still, it was a pretty fast and entertaining read.

NaBloPoMo: Finished!

And not a day too soon! I was running out of material, in case you couldn't tell. I'm going to take a few days off and get some reading done so I can say something meaningful when I return. Thanks for sticking with me all month!

BTT: Rolling

From Booking Through Thursday:

Do you get on a roll when you read, so that one book leads to the next, which leads to the next, and so on and so on?

I don’t so much mean something like reading a series from beginning to end, but, say, a string of books that all take place in Paris. Or that have anthropologists as the main character. Or were written in the same year. Something like that… Something that strings them together in your head, and yet, otherwise could be different genres, different authors…

I have been known to do this: I'll pick up one book at the library on a whim, and then proceed to read everything I can get my hands on about the topic. Usually a nonfiction book is what triggers it, then I'll read other nonfiction, fiction, whatever. I've done this with books about Japan, China, the Plague, the 1918 flu, turn-of-the-century New York, King Arthur...and probably a lot more I can't think of right now. Eventually I run out of things to read on the topic, or otherwise get tired of it, and then move on to the next thing.

L is for Library

This probably isn't a surprise, given my love of books, but I love libraries. My dad was a librarian, so I can remember going to work with him during the summer, and he would let me help shelve, or cover new books, or just sit and read. Bliss. I was always friends with the librarians growing up, but now I hardly know any of the librarians at the local library. This is because they put in a wonderful new invention: self-checkout machines. No more waiting in line, and I get to use the scanner myself. I love scanners.

Readability

I found this at http://www.criticsrant.com/bb/reading_level.aspx

K is for Kidnapped

Not that I (or anyone else I know) has ever been kidnapped, thank goodness. Rather, this is for the book "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson. I have a clear memory of this book on my grandmother's bookshelf. We had pretty much free rein over her books - she never told us a book was "too old" or off limits. But I still never picked this one up, because I found the title to be too scary. I grew up in a small town, where no one was kidnapping small children, yet it was a fear of mine. This fear wasn't helped by a comic book distributed by the local police department which told the story of two children who "took candy from a stranger" and ended up being kidnapped. That comic gave me nightmares for weeks, so there was no way I was picking up this book. I did get to read a lot of lovely old books, though: Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier comes immediately to mind. I read almost every other books she had, but not that one.

Sunday

I can't think of anything clever for K yet, and I haven't finished a new book to review yet, but it is NaBloPoMo so I have to post something! So, here are my plans for today:

• Laundry
• Vacuum
• Watch "Battlestar Galactica: Razor" on tape (seriously, it was on at 10 p.m. last night here - way too late)
• Read more of "World Without End" by Ken Follett - this is the sequel (of sorts) to "Pillars of the Earth." I'm enjoying it, but it's over 1000 pages. It's going to take forever to read. I have a copy from the library, but fortunately my mom bought a copy yesterday, so I don't have to rush too much.
• Watch "The Amazing Race"
• Make my Christmas Card list
• Play SimCity on my DS-Lite
  

What are your plans for the day?

"Next" and "The Invisible"

These are the most recent movies I got from Netflix, and they've been sitting on my shelf for a couple of weeks so I finally decided to watch them just so I could get two more movies to sit on my shelf. Although if the writer's strike lasts much longer, I think it will be all DVDs for all of us for a while.

Anyway, of the two, "Next" was the better movie. It stars Nicholas Cage, and is based on a Philip K. Dick short story, both of which were what made me put the movie in the queue. It starts a little slow, but the twist at the end makes it all worthwhile. Don't worry, I won't spoil it. The premise is that the main character, (Cage) can see two minutes into his own future. And of course, there are people who want to use that talent for their own purposes. I thought it was pretty well done, although slow at first, and I did like the "sliding" effect they used for showing it was only a possible future.

"The Invisible" was touted as being like "The Sixth Sense" - and it is, except for the fact that it isn't at all. The main character is a teenager who becomes invisible to everyone except for one troubled girl. This one also bogs down in the middle, and doesn't really recover. There were a lot of things that didn't really make sense, and there were no surprises at all.

J is for J.D.

Four years ago when I decided to take the LSAT, the day that I would finally get the JD seemed ages away. I had been out of school for awhile, working in various jobs. What finally made me get off my butt and get back to school? I was laid off from a retail job I was working at night to pay off bills. I was tired of working two jobs just to make ends meet. My sister had recently graduated from law school, so I knew I could do it too. It was a lot of hard work, and a lot of time living on a student budget, but I managed to graduate, pass the bar, and get a job.

And today was another rite of passage: I made my first student loan payment.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Time to watch the parade and eat way too much yummy food! Enjoy!

Bitter is the New Black - Jen Lancaster

I read this over several lunch hours, and I think that was the best time to read it. It's adapted largely from her blog about her experience losing her dot-com job in 2001 and her subsequent job search and eventual career as a writer. Apparently she has written another book, but I don't think I'll be rushing out to pick it up. She admits to being self-centered, and at times this is really irritating in her writing. But at other times she is very perceptive of other people. Her experiences with the job hunt rang very true: people stringing her along, not responding to phone calls, and not telling her they had already hired someone else. Near the end of the book she includes some comments (and her responses) from her blog, and some of those are quite amusing.

I is for Internet

This is a glaringly obvious topic, but true for me nevertheless. I have been using the internet since before it was the internet: around 1994, when I finally had a computer with a 2800 baud modem, and all you could access were bbs's and library websites with ftp and telnet. It was all text, and I loved it. Later I signed up for Compuserve, and it was all downhill from there. Now I can't imagine what I would do without it: how would I find directions to anywhere? Look up obscure facts? Find people with the same interests all over the world?

H is for Holidays

I love holidays - not the commercialism of them, but the idea of taking a day to commemorate something - anything. I like Thanksgiving because it's just food and family: no gifts, no decorating (or at least minimal). Of course, Thanksgiving will never be like it was when I was a child, when it was my grandmother cooking, and everyone came to our house. We always had family of course, and then whatever "strays" the family picked up along the way. My favorite guest was always "Grandma Ruby," who wasn't related to us at all, but always came over for Thanksgiving. She had great stories, and she had a fur wrap which she would let my sister and me "pet" all day.

Dancing Barefoot - Wil Wheaton

I finished this over one lunch break - it is a slim little book, but with great stories in it. The best one is a longer one about Star Trek Conventions. As someone who has attended more than one convention in the past, it was interesting to see it from one of the guest's point of view. (I even once saw WIL WHEATON browsing in the dealer room at a con, just like a regular person!) I especially appreciated the effort he put into making the autograph experience personal for each person. I seldom stood in line to get autographs, and stopped completely once Creation started charging separately for the privilege. It made me so nostalgic that I think I'll have to plan a trip to a convention sometime soon, as they don't ever come to my state anymore.

NaBloPoMo Day 17

NaBloPoMo is over half over - and some days it's really hard to think of something to post. I was hoping to get some reading done this weekend, but that will have to wait until at least tomorrow. This morning I had a haircut, then my nephew's birthday part at the park (20 5-year-olds), and later this afternoon I get to judge a mock trial down at the university. A fun day, but very full. At least this coming week is a short one at work: I'm taking Friday as a vacation day.

Friday's Feast #169

Friday's Feast:

Appetizer
What was your first “real” job?
During college I worked as a receptionist at the front desk of my dorm. After college, my first job was for a company that made electronic dog training products - "shock collars." I started in the order entry department taking catalog orders, then moved on to be the person who printed the shipping documents.

Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?
If I could go anywhere? I think to a cabin in the woods somewhere, where I could just have time to think and get away.

Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…
everyone else seems to know what is going on and I have no clue.

Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you?
Hard work, taking care of family, the importance of education

Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years.
Oh dear, my teenage years were the 80's so this is embarrassing. How about legwarmers, fingerless lace gloves, and Duran Duran?

BTT: Preservatives

Today’s question comes from Conspiracy-Girl:
I’m still relatively new to this meme so I’m not sure if this has been asked yet, but I’m curious how many of us write notes in our books. Are you a Footprint Leaver or a Preservationist?


I am definitely a Preservationist. The only exception to this is my law school books: they are full of highlighting and margin notes which were invaluable in surviving class discussions. I never wrote in my college textbooks, and would never write or underline in any other book either. I'm one of those who reads paperbacks without creasing the spine at all. I hate to loan books out because I know they will come back with spine creases!

The Happiest Days of our Lives - Wil Wheaton

Yes, this is written by the Wil Wheaton of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I have been reading his online blog for awhile now, and decided to pick up one of his books. This is his latest collection of stories, which are expanded from his blog entries. He has an easy style, and I relate to a lot of his stories, as we both grew up in the 70's. His nostalgia about the toys of the time reminded me of many things I had forgotten: one being the trip to Kmart to decide on a toy to buy. This was a very fast read, but highly enjoyable. I just got his prior book "Just a Geek" in the mail yesterday, and "Dancing Barefoot" is on its way to me as well.

G is for Games

I love games. Board games, card games, computer games - I love them all. When I was a kid we used to spend hours playing games, especially in the summer: Risk, Life, Monopoly, Scrabble, Mille Borne, and any card games we could think of. We bought one of the first home computers - the Tandy 80 from Radio Shack, and that started the computer game fun: we had Pacman and a Viking game, and one of the kids my mom babysat had the best Star Wars game: you were the x-wing flying through the passages on the Death Star - I played that for hours. Then we got the first Nintendo and it was Duck Hunt and Tetris and Mario Bros. and RBI baseball. I bought a Nintendo Gameboy just to play Tetris on it. I still play lots of computer games, and am having so much fun introducing my nephew to board games: he loves Monopoly and Life, even though he's really too young to play them yet. He likes rolling the dice and moving around the board, and collecting and handing out money. I foresee many hours of fun in our future. I can also guess that I'll be buying an X-box or something "for my nephew." Or a Wii - definitely a Wii.

Meme

This NaBloPoMo thing is hard! I saw this meme on another blog, and am shamelessly stealing it:

Four First Names of Crushes I Had
1. Tom (my best friend's brother)
2. Mike (he was in 8th grade when I was in 7th)
3. Bruce
4. Robert

Four Pieces of Clothing I Wish I Still Owned
1. grey suede cuffed boots
2. Blue and green plaid skirt
3. a long-sleeved blue shaker-knit sweater
4. this crazy blouse with a parrot on it

Four Professions I Secretly Want to Try
1. Bookstore owner
2. Spy
3. Writer
4. Nurse

Four Musicians I’d Most Want to Go On a Date With
1. Sting
2. Simon LeBon
3. John Taylor
4. Rob Thomas
(I know they are all married)

Four Foods I’d Rather Throw Than Eat
1. Liver
2. Peas
3. Dark meat chicken or turkey
4. Green peppers

Four Things I Like to Sniff
1. New books
2. Old books
3. Vanilla
4. a new car!

I won't tag anyone, but anyone who wants to can do it!

F is for Family

I know this is terribly cliche, but my family is very important to me. Like most people, I think it is a love/hate relationship. I like having family close, but I also need some space to be myself. What brought this to mind is that my brother just got a job in a state very far from here, and has to move by December 3. My mother is crushed. I'm surprised he didn't move sooner. He has been trying to distance himself (that's the nice way to put it: cut us out of the picture is the less nice way to say it) for awhile now, so I figured moving away would be the next step. I'm sad that he and his wife and my nephew are moving, but I understand why he thinks he needs to do it. Maybe he's right - who knows?

Used Books

I went to a craft fair at church this morning, and they had a separate room with used books. I didn't buy any of the books, because they were not discriminating at all in what they were offering. There were some books in really bad shape, and the rest were John Grisham. I don't have a problem with used books: I love the local used book store, and am a huge fan of Paperbackswap.com. I am picky about the condition of the books, though: I hate cracked spines, and especially hate water damage. So I contented myself with the craft items, and some homemade jams.

Friday Fill In 45

1. Plans and schedules are important to make sure things get done, but flexibility is key as well: planning helps me prepare for the unexpected.

2. I’m happy when things just fall into place.

3. The last thing I drank was coffee!

4. One of the most valuable things in my life is my family.

5. I like ham and/or bacon and pineapple on my pizza.

6. Dear November, please cool off before Thanksgiving so I can wear my sweaters! Seriously, 90 degrees is too hot for November!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to TV and a book, tomorrow my plans include shopping at the arts & crafts bazaar and Sunday, I want tocatch up on laundry and reading.

BTT: Volume

From Booking Through Thursday:

Would you say that you read about the same amount now as when you were younger? More? Less?
Why?

I think I read about the same amount as when I was younger. I read less during law school, but have picked up the pace again since then. I have always been a fast reader, which helps me to get through a lot of books in a short time.

E is for Email

My name is janiejane, and I am an email addict.

• I don't even know how often I check my email, because generally if the computer is on, the email is open so that I will know the second an email arrives.
• I have had the same yahoo! account since 1996 or 1997.
• I currently have several other accounts that all forward to the yahoo account so that I can check them all at once.
• I felt a twinge of withdrawal when my school account was recently shut down. Fortunately they gave us an alumni address.
• One of the things I am looking forward to is getting my official state bar email address, so I will have a "professional" address.
  

Observation

After a day of watching jury selection, all I can say is: some people will say anything to get out of jury duty.

D is for Doodling

I confess: I am a doodler. Give me a piece of paper and a writing utensil, and the margins will be filled with curlicues, boxes, faces, diamonds, etc. etc. I am not an artist by any means, so they are generally geometric patterns with an occaisional amateurish sketch of a cat or something.

C is for Car

...as in new car. I finally traded in my old 1995 Escort (which I bought new) and bought myself a shiny new 2008 Mazda 3 i sport, in "sunlight silver." I am sad to see my trusty old car go, and to have car payments again, but my oh my is the Mazda fun to drive!

B is for Bookshelves

It should be apparent from this blog that I love books, and books require bookshelves. I have three overflowing bookshelves, each with a personal history. I break the librarian rule of not double shelving (one is even triple shelved on one shelf with paperbacks) due to space limitations. One day I hope to have a whole room devoted to bookshelves (with a comfy chair for reading, of course). The smallest bookshelf is only three shelves high, and about three feet wide. It was my grandmother's, and I remember poking through it at her house in the summer to find something to read. The next one is larger, but still only three shelves high. I received that one from my parents for Christmas after college, to replace my board and cinder block shelves. The last one I inherited from my brother - it is four shelves high, and holds a lot of books. He was going to get rid of it when he moved in with his girlfriend (now wife), but I rescued it. I could easily fill at least one more bookshelf, but space does not allow.

A is for Apple Pie

A is for Apple Pie - my favorite homemade dessert. My mom makes it with homemade pastry, and not-too-tart apples. Her secret ingredient is one pear mixed in to vary the texture and add a bit of sweetness. Then we cover it with hot custard sauce in the English tradition, and the result is pure heaven. My grandmother made the pie this same way, and I have warm childhood memories of this dessert on special and ordinary occasions.

BTT: Oh, Horror!

From Booking Through Thursday:

What with yesterday being Halloween, and all . . . do you read horror? Stories of things that go bump in the night and keep you from sleeping?

I thought about asking you about whether you were participating in NaNoWriMo, but I asked that last year. Although . . . if you want to answer that one, too, please feel free to go ahead and do both, or either, your choice!

I don't read horror generally, but I do read Stephen King, and I have read some Dean Koontz when the mood strikes. Pet Sematary was one of the first King books I read, and it scared me pretty badly - I was probably too young to be reading it. I eventually read all of his books and have enjoyed them: he has a way with characters and dialogue I find pretty natural. The Koontz I picked up out of desperation one time at the library - I needed paperbacks rather than hardbacks, and the pickings were slim. I enjoyed them, but his tend to be more repetitive, and sometimes I can't tell whether I have already read the book before!

As for NaNoWriMo, I considered it again this year, but I think instead I'll go with NaBloPoMo as a more manageable challenge. I might do an A to Z about me as a way to fill at least 26 posts.

Abandoned books

This was a Booking Through Thursday question a few weeks back, but I have to report that I have abandoned two books in the past few weeks: The Hours, by Michael Cunningham (which was to be on the Book to Movie challenge), and American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I was especially disappointed after enjoying "Good Omens" so much, but apparently it was the combination of Pratchett and Gaiman that I enjoyed. I haven't tried a Pratchett book yet, but I won't get my hopes up.

Learning to Bow - Bruce Feiler

I happened across this one at Paperback Swap, and had it on my wish list forever before I finally managed to get a copy. The subtitle is "Inside the Heart of Japan" and it tells the story of an American who travels to Japan in the early 90's to teach English. He is very good at describing the different culture without seeming too judgmental. He doesn't always succeed, but you can tell he is trying. The students embrace him and are happy to teach him about Japan, although they are more reluctant to learn "American" traditions. This was a fast and enjoyable read, and made me more eager to visit Japan one day.

101 Family Vacation Games - Shando Varda

This was another ARC I received via LibraryThing. It has some great car games, and some interesting outdoor games. Some of them seem a little complicated, and some of the baby games seem a little obvious - it actually describes how to play "Peek-a-boo." Nevertheless, this would be invaluable for a babysitter, especially a relatively inexperienced one, and very useful for a long car trip.

The Guardians - Ana Castillo

I apologize for the absence - work and life have been keeping me busy. But, I have been reading, so here are a few reviews!

I got this one as an Advance Reader's Edition, and I'm so glad I did! This is a charming little book. The characters are so real and human, and each has their own voice. We hear from each character in separate chapters, and they are recognizable from their "voices." Regina is my favorite character - she's flawed and wonderful, and she speaks in a delightful mix of English and Spanish - I could hear her speaking in my head. The book is very topical, as it deals with troubles at the Mexican/US border, but aside from that it is about people dealing with every day life.

A quiz!

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Friday Fill In

I found a new meme - Friday Fill In! (Thanks to Musings of a Bookish Kitty):

1. October . . . is the month when it finally cools off enough to believe fall is coming!

2. Trick-or-treaters . . .don't scare me!

3. Haunted houses . . . have always captured my imagination

4. My favorite scary movie is . . .28 Days Later . . . because . . . the speedy zombies scare me every time.

5. Waking up when it's cold and dark outside is always hard for . . . me.

6. It was a dark and stormy night . . .and I was sitting up in bed watching the lightning flash.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to . . . relaxing in front of the TV . . ., tomorrow my plans include . . . a celebratory dinner with family . . . and Sunday, I want to . . . catch up on chores I've been neglecting, and watch 28 Weeks Later !

Plague Year - Jeff Carlson

This was another of my alternates for the Unread Authors challenge - I have a bad habit of reading the alternates first - ha ha.

I enjoyed this - it reminds me a lot of Michael Chrichton, both because of the nanobot plotline, and in the general style. This had a lot less science, though. The characters were interesting, if a little flat in some parts. I would have liked a better picture of how devastated the world was, and what the survivors still faced. It was a quick read, though - perfect for the end of summer.

I finally started reading "The Guardians", so that will be next.

Bar exam

I found out yesterday that I passed the bar exam - yay! I really did not want to have to go through that experience again. My character and fitness report is still being processed, so I can't be sworn in yet, but at least I am one step closer!

Heroes - TV

The primary focus of this blog is books, but I watch a LOT of TV as well, so you all get to hear my opinions on that as well from time to time.

I just finished watching "Heroes" on DVD, and all I can say is - wow. I did not watch it last season at first because I was sure it would be cancelled quickly, and I didn't want to get attached. Later, after it was clearly a hit, I had waited too long. So I spent a whole season avoiding spoilers and waited for the DVDs. (I love Netflix.)

The season maintains its internal consistency very well over the whole season, and the characters also remained true to themselves as they explore their abilities for good or evil. I loved the flash-forwards (and flashbacks) - time travel done well is always appreciated! I did keep wishing Peter would cut the bangs, though - the emo "sweeping them from my eyes" was very irritating. If you haven't been watching, give the DVDs a try!

We - Yevgeny Zamyatin

I read about this classic on another blog, and picked it up at the bookstore the other day. I bought the mass market paperback version, and what an unattractive book it is - the typeface is blotchy and the paper was rough and very cheap feeling. I hated picking it up every time. All the same, I'm glad I didn't pay more for a different version, because I wasn't very fond of the contents, either. I felt like I was being forced to read it for school, and couldn't seem to enjoy it at all. It evoked 1984, which was written after it of course, but I couldn't relate to the people, and I often had trouble following the story. I think the fault is all mine, though, because I didn't give it the attention it probably deserved. Anyway, it qualifies for the Unread Author's challenge, so at least I get credit for that!

BTT: Comfort Food

From Booking Through Thursday:

Okay . . . picture this (really) worst-case scenario: It’s cold and raining, your boyfriend/girlfriend has just dumped you, you’ve just been fired, the pile of unpaid bills is sky-high, your beloved pet has recently died, and you think you’re coming down with a cold. All you want to do (other than hiding under the covers) is to curl up with a good book, something warm and comforting that will make you feel better.

What do you read?

Well, it really depends on the catastrophe. If something really bad has happened: death in the family, etc., I find that I can't read anything longer than a magazine article; I just don't have the focus or concentration for it. For lesser catastrophes: a bad cold, bad weather, disappointment, etc., I turn to old favorites of the "Well, at least it isn't as bad as all that!" variety: disaster novels. I often re-read "The Stand" by Stephen King when I have a cold, because it makes my own illness seem slight. I also like "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood, and "WarDay" by Whitley Streiber and James Kunetka, because there's nothing like the end of civilization as we know it to put things in perspective. I also like "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer for when things get tough: at least I'm not trying to climb Mt. Everest.

Portrait of an Unknown Woman - Vanora Bennett

This doesn't qualify for the Unread Authors challenge, as it is her first book. And what a first novel it is! It is rich in historical detail, with characters that seem to come alive. I found her style to be very natural, although the frequent changes in point of view were distracting at first. It's always risky to use actual historical figures in a book, but Ms. Bennett makes Thomas More and Hans Holbein come to life, and weaves in a delightful conspiracy theory about the two princes as well. I do hope she writes more, and not necessarily historical fiction. She has a gift for natural dialogue and realistic characters that would be wonderful in any type of fiction.

An interesting list

I ran across this list at Can I Borrow Your Book?, and I thought it worth doing.

*Bold the ones you’ve read* Italicize the ones you want to read* Leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in.

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18 The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44.The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58.The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)7
4. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96.The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)


I don't know who created this list, but I seem to have read an astonishing number of them. There are a few that I wish I hadn't read (DaVinci Code being one of them), but some of my favorite books of all time are on here: The Handmaid's Tale, The Stand, The Secret Garden.

BTT: Goldilocks

It's Booking Through Thursday time again!

So, this is my question to you–are you a Goldilocks kind of reader?

Do you need the light just right, the background noise just so loud but not too loud, the chair just right, the distractions at a minimum?

Or can you open a book at any time and dip right in, whether it’s for twenty seconds, while waiting for the kettle to boil, or indefinitely, like while waiting interminably at the hospital–as long as the book is open in front of your nose, you’re happy to read?

I am definitely not a Goldilocks reader - I can read anywhere, anytime, for as long as I'm able to! I read during commercial breaks on the television (and sometimes during the shows themselves), at breakfast, during lunch (not at dinner, unless I'm eating alone), anywhere I have to wait (dentist, doctor, car repair, DMV). I used to read in the five minutes before class started (whatever novel I was in the middle of), and on the bus ride to school. If I am a passenger on a car trip, I read then. Of course, I'm happy to spend an entire afternoon curled up with a book, but I'll take five minutes here and there, too!

Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

As predicted, I finished this last night. I loved this book! It's funny, clever, witty and entertaining. It reminds me of both Douglas Adams and Piers Anthony in its tone. The authors' notes at the end describe how people bring beat-up, well-loved copies to books signings, or new copies because friends keep "stealing" their old copies. I can understand this: I will definitely keep this on my "keeper" shelf, but I also want to recommend it to all of my friends who like this sort of book.

Starting the Unread Authors Challenge

I'm so glad it's September, so I can get started on the Unread Authors Challenge at last! This pile of books has been calling my name for a while, and I am already 100 or so pages into "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I am loving it so far, and will probably finish it this weekend.

At the mall today I picked up "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin and "The Plague Year" by Jeff Carlson, so I will be adding them to the unread authors challenge as well. They both are short, so it shouldn't be a problem. I've been reading during my lunch hour at work, so I can get a good bit of reading done every day. I have also started on books on tape for the drive to and from work (half an hour each way), and my first selection for that is an old favorite: "Over Sea, Under Stone" by Susan Cooper. I have the next two in the series on tape (all from the library) as well, and the final 2 are on their way to the hold shelf at my library for me. I loved this series as a child and I find they hold up remarkably well.

I skipped "Booking Through Thursday" this week, but will return to it next week. I'm considering starting the "Encyclopedia of Me" meme I saw at another blog. Basically you do one post for each letter of the alphabet. I do want to post more frequently, and it seems like a fun way to do it, as well as a way to show my personality more. I would intersperse book reviews along the way, of course.