leahbird keeps up the good fight in 2015 (2)

Time for round 2!

I was so tired of looking at the gloomy winter storm picture I had here so I'm changing it! This is from my little cousin Josie's first birthday party. My sister is helping Josie explore and my niece Addy is leaping through the spray in the front.

“She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain.”― Louisa May Alcott
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need."― Cicero

*Note: Descriptions are not mine, but culled from LT or other sources. Thoughts are all me.

9. American Gods: 10th Anniversary Full Cast Audio by Neil Gaiman (read by George Guidall, Dennis Boutsikaris, Daniel Oreskes, Sarah Jones, Ron McLarty, Neil Gaiman, and a ton of other people that I can't identify because apparently nowhere on the internet has a full cast list)


Description: First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic—an intellectual and artistic benchmark from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman. Now discover the mystery and magic of American Gods in this tenth anniversary edition. Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece by the one, the only, Neil Gaiman.

A storm is coming . . .

Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life.

But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. Lacking direction, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself.

Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined—it is a job that takes him on a dark and strange road trip and introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. Along the way Shadow will learn that the past never dies; that everyone, including his beloved Laura, harbors secrets; and that dreams, totems, legends, and myths are more real than we know. Ultimately, he will discover that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path.

Relevant and prescient, American Gods has been lauded for its brilliant synthesis of “mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose” (Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World) and as a modern phantasmagoria that “distills the essence of America” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is, quite simply, an outstanding work of literary imagination that will endure for generations.

Thoughts: I'm having a great time working my way through Neil Gaiman's back catalog. This wasn't a project I started consciously, it just sort of grew on it's own after reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane for book club and all of us talking about what our favorite Gaiman book is (mine is between The Graveyard Book and Good Omens). I had been meaning to read American Gods since it first came out but something kept getting in the way. Finally I just borrowed the 10th Anniversary Full Cast Audiobook from Overdrive and jumped right in.

I can honestly say, I'm really really glad I went with this audiobook rather than reading the text. I think I still would have thought it was really good but I think I might have gotten bogged down along the way and sat it aside for a bit and possibly never gotten back into it. Instead, this full cast audio had me eating crappy fast food so I could spend my lunch breaks in my car. I was listening to and from work and looking forward to my next drive to get back into it.

I especially loved the "Coming To America" sections. Not only are they lovely because they are narrated by Neil himself and his really quite wonderful reading voice, but they are so rich and human, even in their brevity. It's the story of us, of America, even when it's uncomfortable. Those sections are so representative of the transmission of cultural identity and belief. I only wish there had been more of them. I'd read a whole book of shorts like this!

I had lots of hunches throughout about who was really who and what things meant and where the plot was going. On almost every occasion I was wrong and yet I feel a total lack of disappointment at that fact. The only thing I really feel disappointed about is that all the "American Gods" are either old, nearly forgotten gods or the gods of modern life. Neil touches a bit in the appendix about why he cut the scene with Jesus, but I feel there is something missing in not representing Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism (other than Mama Ji), Buddhism, Wicca, and even Satanism.

On one narrative thread that almost made me irritated but redeemed itself: I was quite irritated at the end of the main book that the story of Lake Town seemed to have been so easily and completely tossed aside. Why in the hell spend all that narrative time in a place with interesting characters and events only to leave it unceremoniously. WTF Neil? But then the postscript allows Shadow to figure some things out regarding the pleasant Lake Town and the pleasant inhabitants. And I LOVED it. I loved the reveal and the reasoning and the resolution. It was great! Sad but great.

As I should have known I would be, I am quite glad that I've read this book. And I was thrilled to hear in the appendix that Neil believes Shadow will come back to America because there are more questions to be answered. Does that mean sequel?!?

Rating: 4.3

Liked: 4
Plot: 4
Characterization: 4.5
Writing: 4.5
Audio: 5

10. The Collectors by Philip Pullman (read by Bill Nighy)


Description: "But the thing is," said Horley, "they didn't know each other at all. Never heard of each other. It wasn't about the makers. Only about the works."

On a dark winter's night in 1970, Horley and Grinstead huddle for warmth in the Senior Common Room of a college in Oxford. Conversation turns to the two impressive works of art that Horley has recently added to his collection. What the two men don't know is that these pieces are connected in mysterious and improbable ways; and they are about to be caught in the cross-fire of a story which has travelled time and worlds.

Philip Pullman is one of the most well-loved and admired British authors of the last few decades. He has written numerous novels for both adults and children, most notably the award-winning His Dark Materials trilogy. The Collectors, written exclusively for Audible, serves as a great introduction to this series, while revealing a little something extra to fans of Lyra and her world.

Thoughts: I am a huge fan of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. I have all the published books, including the prequel Once Upon a Time in the North and the short sequel Lyra's Oxford, and have been eagerly awaiting the publication of The Book of Dust for quite sometime. Yet, somehow, this Audible exclusive short story (coming in at only 38 minutes) totally slipped my attention. I just happened upon it randomly while searching for another audiobook. For shame!

To be fair, however, it is only very slightly connected to what we know of Lyra's story. I do believe it is hinting much more towards The Book of Dust but we'll have to wait (forever apparently) to see. Even though it is quite short, it does manage to be quite interesting IF it IS foreshadowing things to come. Pullman (and Nighy) manage a nice air of menace for what starts out so innocuous. As any reader of the series knows, Mrs. Coulter is one terrifying bitch and that monkey is about as cuddly as a ball of heroin needles, so the outcome of this short didn't take much of a stretch of the imagination.

And now I'm ready for my Book of Dust, please. Any day now, right, Philip?

Rating: 3.9

Liked: 4
Plot: 4
Characterization: 3.5
Writing: 4
Audio: 4

Hi Leah! I just saw on your profile page that you are a doula! I've recently been tossing that idea around in my head after my boys are a bit older that it would be something I would want to look into. :)

>4 jolerie: Hi Valerie! I am a doula, although I'm taking a break at the moment. It's been very exciting and rewarding but my current job is claiming more of my attention so I haven't take a client since October. Things are just getting back into a rhythm so I think I'm going to start taking clients again soon.

The hardest part when you are starting out is really evaluating your clients over the phone when they think they are "in labor." So many first timers think it's really moving along much earlier than it really is and you can get burnt out quite quickly sitting around waiting for labor to progress. I have worked several births where I was with a client for 24 hours with little rest because they called me in too early. Judging the right time to go comes with experience and until you get it you can end up with some loooooooong days. Ideally, you shouldn't be with a first time mom longer than 12-18 hours even when they might be in early labor for 24-36 hrs. (Coincidentally, this is also one of the reasons a lot of people end up with c-sections these days. They think they are in active labor and go to the hospital way too early. When labor is slow to progress -- or stalls because they are stuck in a bed -- they end up with interventions that lead them down the path to c-section.)

But there really isn't anything more awe inspiring than having people who start out as strangers invite you to participate in their most precious moments. I still cry every time I witness a baby being born. But I'm a big sap anyway. ;)

I hope you pursue it. It took me 10 years to take myself seriously about it and I regret those 10 years lost because I was unsure. The classes required are quick and reasonably priced and you have at least 2 years to complete your certification births from the time you take the classes. I would actually recommend going ahead and taking the classes soon and then taking your time working up to the point where your boys are old enough. You can apply for an extension of your certification time if you don't get it all done in 2 years. My certification is due at the end of the year and I still have a few books to read and essays to write but I got my required births done pretty quickly.

Happy new thread, Leah!

Happy New Thread, Leah!

Happy new thread!

Listening to The Light Fantastic, all I can say is that audiobooks have come a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong way since 1999. Someone really needs to do an updated reading of Discworld. I vote for the people who did American Gods so spectacularly!

Thanks for the tips, Leah. I'm definitely going to look at what they offer in my area and how the certification process works.
I totally know what you mean about being there for people during such a life changing moment in their lives. I love babies so I figure this is a good way for me to get some "baby" time without actually having to have more..ha!

Happy new thread, Leah!

>1 leahbird: - Wow, old man winter just doesn't want to let go of his grip on the your part of the world!

I'm going to see What We Do in the Shadows either today or tomorrow. Yay!

>2 leahbird: In an interview I listenen to a while back, Neil said he'd love to write a sequel to American Gods but he had so many other stories in his head that needed to come out first that it would take a very long time for AG2.

>12 norabelle414: Yay! It's so funny and pretty smart too. Gore makes me ill and there were a few scenes that tested my stomach, but they were worth it. I hope you love it!

>13 PawsforThought: Awesome. I certainly won't complain about Gaiman stores and AG was contained enough that a sequel is just cake icing.

Happy new thread! And thanks for the tip on the Pullman -- I had no idea that existed! :)

My pleasure Sarah! It was such a surprise to find hiding there in plain site on Audible.

11. The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett (read by Nigel Planer)


Description: Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent, bestselling novels have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to the likes of Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen.

In The Light Fantastic, only one individual can save the world from a disastrous collision. Unfortunately, the hero happens to be the singularly inept wizard Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of the world.

Thoughts: When I was ordering my lovely Gollancz editions of a few Discworld books, I made the decision to purchase the first book in a few of the series rather than buying in publishing order. Then, realizing that I had, without knowing it, purchased books 1, 3, and 4, I decided publication order was best after all. Not wanting to order a single book all the way from the UK and not being prepared to order more at the moment, I decided I should just borrow the audiobook.

That was easier said than done. Apparently no one bothers to stock the audiobooks of the early Discworld stories. The only option was to buy it, something I'm typically loathe to do with audiobooks. Luckily I had one last credit on my three month trial of Audible so I took the plunge.

And now I know why no one bothers to stock the audiobook versions of the early Discworld stories. As I said in >9 leahbird: "Listening to The Light Fantastic, all I can say is that audiobooks have come a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong way since 1999." Nigel Planer is not particularly a bad reader. His narrating voice is fine for this story and his character voices aren't too bad, even if they aren't all that different from one another.

But the production value! Oh good lord!

The sound quality was not particularly great to start with but then there would be little periods of obviously rerecorded material that sounded exactly as if they were recorded in one of those caves/grottos in pools that you can only get to by swimming underwater through a tunnel. Or maybe underneath an upside down canoe. And Nigel sounds like he's picked up the sniffles from all the time spent in the damp. It was TERRIBLE. I can't imagine what in the original recording could have been bad enough that they thought these rerecordings were the preferable option!

And then there were the annoying little bell chime flourishes at every section break. I think I remember the exact sound from my Teddy Ruxpin (animatronic nightmare fuel) when I was meant to turn the page in the book the creepy thing was "reading" to me, as it blinked it's unseeing plastic eyes. This is possibly the reason I taught myself to read at 4 years old.

Back the the important part: the book itself. I still enjoyed this installment and found certain aspects even better than the first book. Mostly that Rincewind actually seems to have some agency here and isn't just following, chasing, being drug around by Twoflower the whole time. I like that the concept of the spell living in his head is explained and explored more. The problem is that it felt a bit slight, big events happen but in a small, almost casual way. The overall narrative was still good and funny and insightful, there just wasn't a terribly lot of it.

I can also see why some people advise against reading these early books first. I'm certainly not inclined to stop reading since I still found this enjoyable, but I don't doubt that later books are more pulled together.

I look forward to getting back into the actual BOOKS of the Discworld. I do hope in the future that there are audiobooks in the series that are actually from this century and worth listening to as they do make my commute much more entertaining.

Rating: 3.4

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 2.5

Oh, what a timely read with the sad news of his recent passing. :(

I want to tackle the Discworld books at some point as well. Right now I'm just trying to focus on finishing The Wheel of Time!

It is particularly sad that I just started reading these in time to lose Sir Terry but now it feels like a tribute read.

12. The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil by Stephen Collins


Description: The job of the skin is to keep it all in...

On the island of Here, livin's easy. Conduct is orderly. Lawns are neat. Citizens are clean shaven--and Dave is the most fastidious of them all. Dave is bald, but for a single hair. He loves drawing, his desk job, and the Bangles. But on one fateful day, his life is upended...by an unstoppable (yet pretty impressive) beard.

An off-beat fable worthy of Roald Dahl and Tim Burton, The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is a darkly funny meditation on life, death, and what it means to be different--and a timeless ode to the art of beard maintenance.

Thoughts: I first noticed this book at Barnes & Noble in January. It's striking black and white cover illustration and it's spectacular title caught my attention but I couldn't talk myself into buying it that day. It, however, wedged itself in my brain and I couldn't stop thinking about it. When my book club decided to do graphic novels for this month's read, I suggested this one immediately and everyone was for it.

The art is gorgeous. It's so deceptively simply with it's black and white penciling, but it's enormously engaging and Collins does a really impressive job with paneling and textual lay out. I am very fond of graphic novelists that use the typical "constraints" of the comics format creatively. Here's a great example. (Click the image for a full page view, it's really beautiful.)

>

Where Collins could have just done a huge single image across the two pages, the way he uses the typical comics panels to break up and highlight the movement and changes is just awesome. Especially the head and the way it progresses with his sentence. This is what graphic literature is all about for me. Yes, pictures are fun and standard comics/graphic novels are already an interesting way to tell a story, but building you text into and through the art and using the art to highlight words and phrases is a step above the rest and so exciting for a reader.

And just look at the detail he gets into an "all black" image! I love it!



As for the story itself, it's good. But not great. The point of the story and the narrative framing are good but it's too brisk and the resolution was too quick. I get it, it's a graphic novel. I almost always complain about the pacing and length of graphic novels. But there is more time given to our introduction to this world and the appearance of the beard than to the real issues the book is trying to discuss and the ramifications of the actions of the story. Dave, our main character, pretty much disappears from the story in direction proportion to the life of the beard. Maybe this was another technique Collins was using to make his point, but it didn't fully work for me. I still liked the story and will recommend it to others, but more for the artistic than straight literary strengths.

Rating: 3.83

Liked: 4
Plot: 3
Characterization: 3.5
Writing: 3.5
Art: 5

13. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (read by Dan O'Grady)


Description: {This description is rife with what I would consider spoilers. It was the best I could find and I'm not adept at writing up good descriptions without myself giving things away, so read if you choose. I like to be surprised about what's happening and this description would have been enough to irritate me had I read it before I listened to the book.}

The highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Rosie Project, starring the same extraordinary couple now living in New York and unexpectedly expecting their first child. Get ready to fall in love all over again.

Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back. The Wife Project is complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married and living in New York. But they’re about to face a new challenge because— surprise!—Rosie is pregnant.

Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father, but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with the law. Fortunately his best friend Gene is on hand to offer advice: he’s left Claudia and moved in with Don and Rosie.

As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business, and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most.

Thoughts: Having read The Rosie Project for book club last month I figured I would give this sequel a go, this time listening to the audiobook rather than reading. Don and Rosie (and a few other familiar characters) are back in what is effectively Year Two of the Rosie and Don story. Since the cover pretty much gives it away, the main plot line here is that Rosie is pregnant. Don's journey towards fatherhood in his own special way is the main focus.

This was pretty funny much of the time, most of the humor coming, predictably, from Don's misunderstanding of accepted behaviors. I can't tell if he genuinely shows more signs of Asperger's here or if it only seemed that way because I was listening instead of reading, but his social awkwardness was even more apparent. There are sooooo many situations where you are laughing and groaning in horror and sympathy at the same time.

The fault, I think, is that Rosie comes across as not very likeable this go around. She knows Dons quirks and apparently loves him, sometimes because of and sometimes in spite of those exact quirks. She married him knowing that he experienced life differently and communicated emotion and interest differently, but this new Rosie doesn't seem to acknowledge any of that. It makes her cold and almost cruel. And it totally took me out of the story.

Dan O'Grady is a decent narrator. He does Don very well and even the other men are fairly easy to differentiate. He is, however, NOT a good reader for women's voices. They all came across very similar and barely feminine.

Rating: 3.42

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5

>21 leahbird: - That artwork does look gorgeous!

14. Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger (read by Moira Quirk)


Description: Sophronia continues her second year at finishing school in style--with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming Lord Felix Mersey hijack a suspiciously empty train to return their chum Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland. But when Sophronia discovers they are being trailed by a dirigible of Picklemen and flywaymen, she unearths a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos. With her friends in mortal danger, Sophronia must sacrifice what she holds most dear--her freedom.

Gather your poison, your steel-tipped quill, and the rest of your school supplies and join Mademoiselle Geraldine's proper young killing machines in the third rousing installment in the New York Times bestselling Finishing School series by steampunk author Gail Carriger.

Thoughts: I wasn't instantly enamored with this series and seriously considered not continuing on with it after the first book. I'm glad I didn't abandon it, however, as it has grown on me with each book. It's still not something I'm likely to rave about, but I genuinely adore some of these characters and need to know how they turn out.

I decided to listen to this one and now wish I had been listening to them all along. Moira Quirk is a wonderful narrator for the series, showing a bit of Katherine Kellgren's talent in her delivery and nicely distinct character voices. She is not quite up to snuff to the devine Ms. Kellgren yet, but I will watch out for her in the future.

However, I do think this installment would have been enjoyable even without the very good narration. The overarching plot, which is directly tied to The Parasol Protectorate Series book, Changeless, was quite interesting even if it was mostly an indirect story element. The business with the train was a fine transition and method of getting the story where Carriger wanted it to go, but it wasn't the most exciting thing I've ever read. What was really compelling was the character arch, the evolving relationships and continued personal development of the girls (and boy) of Mme Geraldine's. The plot twists at the end of the story will certainly encourage me to pick up the next book when it comes out on audio!

Rating: 3.75

Liked: 4
Plot: 3
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 4

>24 leahbird: Good to know, about the narration. Next time I need an audiobook, I will keep that one in mind.

I looked to see what else she has narrated that I might want to read, but nothing that was available from my Overdrive seemed appealing. I do hope she gets offered more interesting titles in the future because I think she could be really good.

I've made note of Moira Quirk. Thank you!

My pleasure!

It's been getting pretty hairy around my place this week as my stock of my favorite teas was almost completely gone. I was down to just the Lady Grey and some samples I'd ordered and not totally loved. The past few days I've been using less and less tea to stretch it until my recent order arrived and starting to get tetchy that it wasn't here yet.

Then, this morning, my mom calls to say that a package was delivered to their house instead of mine and she forgot to tell me. TWO DAYS AGO. NOOOOO! All that weak tea for nothing!

At least now I get to go home to three tins of my favorite teas and all will be right with the world.

ETA: This happens a decent amount because a) my address is 4226 and theirs is 4326, b) our last names are the same and c) the main driver knows we are all related and will often leave packages at the other house if he already has a stop there. So, since my parents live right on the road and I live 1/2 a mile up a curvy farm driveway, my stuff usually ends up there. We're at each other's houses so much it rarely makes any difference but I've been working late a lot this week since the owner is on vacation so I've hardly seen anyone. I guess I will forgive Mom for holding my tea hostage.

Haha! Well, I'm glad the situation has been remedied. I actually haven't been drinking a lot of tea lately...I...I think I might be...cured! *gulp* Oh dear, life without tea, this is kind of scary...I may need a cup of tea to calm my nerves.

Sometimes I go a while without having tea but when I need it I need it right then. And then I drink quite a few pots.

I think that is how many women feel about a number of things. :P

I usually drink at least a couple cups of tea a week. But I'm lucky in that my preferred loose leaf tea provider has a location in the mall, so I can pop over there after work if I start running low.

I drink at least a couple of cups per day. Usually about three or four, but if I'm working on something at home it'll be more. When I was at uni and had a lot of study time at home, it was more like a couple of cups per hour. Well, not quite but easily 8 cups a day.

Hi Leah! I keep finding books for the game you mentioned on your last thread. I just checked out the audio of The Hollow Agatha Christie. :-)

Adrian and I took advantage of this beautiful sunny (but chilly) day to go on a long walk. He's wearing a fall sweater because he had a grooming appointment yesterday and I had the groomer give him a summer cut. It was about this time last year that I started finding ticks.

>32 Ape: I have no idea what you mean. None at all. :P

>33 MickyFine: I probably consume three large pots a week, usually all on one or two days. My book group friends also happen to be tea lovers so we have a tentative tea outing scheduled to check out the tea shops around Knoxville. I was tempted to head to Teavana in the mall to pick some tea up when I was so low but I didn't want to ruin our fun outing by having already been!

We sell lactation teas in the store, which are of course safe for anyone to drink, but they are all rooibos which isn't really my thing. I was pretty tempted one day though!

>34 PawsforThought: I don't consume enough liquids in general but tea helps on the days I don't get too distracted to drink it. ;) In college I was still on coffee and I did consume ridiculous amounts while studying.

>35 cbl_tn: It is such a fun game! It did turn out pretty nice yesterday. I was helping my sister pick out options for her ::fingers crossed:: new house at all our local salvage and discount home stores but the times we managed to be outside were lovely.

15. Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol 1: The Long Way Home by Joss Whedon


Description: Since the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers - newly legion - have gotten organized and are kicking some serious undead butt. But not everything's fun and firearms, as an old enemy reappears and Dawn experiences some serious growing pains. Meanwhile, one of the "Buffy" decoy slayers is going through major pain of her own. Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to season seven of the smash-hit TV series. The bestselling and critically acclaimed issues #1-5 are collected here for the first time, as are their covers by Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty.

Thoughts: I've been wanting to read the Buffy comics that continued the tv show since I binge watched the series for the first time a year or two ago. My library has maybe 2 of the 8 issues of this season so it was a no go. Fortunately, a coworker has all of them and loaned me a whole stack!

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if these are going to be my cup of tea. They are insanely brisk and therefore lack a lot of the emotional depth the show had. They are also trying too hard to be big and expansive when they should know that the thing we care about as fans is the Scooby Gang. Plus, Dawn is now a giant after apparently hooking up with some entity, but it's completely unexplained and only serves to give the crew a giant when they need one.....

Hopefully the series will settle into a rhythm I can get into and I'll start enjoying these like the show.

PS: The art isn't great. It's fine generic comic art but the characters don't really look like their tv show equivalent which is confusing and distracting.

Rating: 3.08

Liked: 3
Plot: 3
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Art: 3.5

16. The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne Valente (read by Catherynne Valente)


Description: September misses Fairyland and her friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. She longs to leave the routines of home and embark on a new adventure. Little does she know that this time, she will be spirited away to the moon, reunited with her friends, and find herself faced with saving Fairyland from a moon-Yeti with great and mysterious powers.

The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two is another rich, beautifully told, wisely humorous, and passionately layered book from New York Times-bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente.

Thoughts: I have loved Fairyland books since I picked the first one up and therefore automatically preordered this book for it's Oct 2013 release date. And yet, all this time has come and gone and even ANOTHER BOOK PUBLISHED without me being able to get more than a few page into this one. I still have no idea why it couldn't hold my attention, but it's not alone in that regard. I have several books from series I love that have been on my shelf for more time than is decent.

Somehow, the voice of Valente managed to snag me where her written words alone could not. She is a great narrator for her own book, not quite Neil Gaiman reading his books but really very good.

This certainly won't go down as my favorite Fairyland book but there are some really really amazing moments. It's so nice to meet the real Ell and Saturday again instead of just their shadows! There is a description of marriage that is probably the best explanation I've ever heard, and it's in a "children's book." There is a decent Fairyland story here, but like many Valente's, the real appeal is her prose, her masterful way with words. When you get that beautiful prose AND a really great story, you are infinitely blessed, but there is nothing particularly bad about only one of those things.

Rating: 3.83

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 4.5
Audio: 4

>36 leahbird: If my stomach lining would let me, I'd drink coffee by the pot. Unfortunately for me, that's not in the cards.

>36 leahbird: Mmm, one of my favourite teas is a rooibos based one: Birthday Cake tea

>39 PawsforThought: Me too. But writhing pain and too many bathroom trips just doesn't make my cappuccinos taste quite as good. Sucks doesn't it?

>40 MickyFine: I'm sure there are good rooibos teas but I haven't had one I really liked yet. And I do like the caffeine my black teas provide.

>41 leahbird: Yeah, it does. I can drink about one cup of coffee a day but I usually don't bother and stick to tea instead. Coffee is my special occasions drink.

Chiming in as another tea lover. I just received my re-stock order from Twinings yesterday! I almost get as exciting to see the Twinings label on the back as I do the Amazon smiley-face... Ha!
And I'm the same way about coffee, too - it's just for special occasions, which usually involve some sort of dessert.

>43 scaifea: Yeah, I need to order some more Lady Grey since I mostly wiped out my stores of it waiting for the others to arrive!

17. Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 8 Vol 2: No Future For You by Brian K Vaughan


Description: When a rogue debutant Slayer begins to use her power for evil, Giles is forced to recruit the rebellious Faith, who isn't exactly known for her good deeds. Giles offers Faith a clean slate if she can stop this snooty Slayer from wreaking total havoc—that is, if Buffy doesn't beat her to it.

Georges Jeanty (The American Way) remains at the top of his game as series artist, and Whedon continues as Executive Producer in this direct follow-up to Season Seven of the smash-hit TV series.

Thoughts: A tiny bit better than the last one but still not really doing it for me. Faith has never been my cup of tea but she's easier to like in the comic that she is on screen.

Rating: 3.17

Liked: 3
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Art: 3.5

18. Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 8 Vol 3: Wolves at the Gate by Drew Goddard


Description: Vampires that, at will, can transform into wolves, panthers, insects, or fog invade the Slayer base of operations in northern Scotland, and not only walk away unscathed, but in possession of Buffy's scythe, the symbol of Slayer power worldwide. Buffy and the Slayer-legion travel to Tokyo in order to learn more about their dangerous new foes, as Xander journeys to Transylvania to solicit the only person they've ever known to possess such power - Dracula!

Thoughts: Highlight: Dracula is back! He and Xander are hilarious.

Everything else was just "meh." Except for the totally ridiculous "Buffy tries out lesbianism" plot which serves no purpose whatsoever. It's not even steamy, so you can't even argue that it was for pervy boys enjoyment. It was just boring and pointless.

Also, why did another girl that one of the team is into need to get killed? Dumb. Doesn't even have emotional impact because she's had about 14 seconds of banter with Xander and now he's going to be all devastated again. Stupid.

Rating: 3

Liked: 3
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Art: 3.5

>44 leahbird: Lady Grey is one of my favorites, too.

I really need to try Lady Grey again, I liked it, but I was less experienced at brewing than I am now, and I suspect I could get more flavor out of it now. I may have to buy some this weekend.

It's a very nice everyday tea for me, just enough citrus flavor to be yummy but not enough to mask it's basic tea-ness.

Oh, I love Lady Grey! I agree - just enough citrus but not too fruity.

I have very few feelings for the rest of the Buffy Season 8 comics I finished yesterday, so I'm just doing a group review.

19. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 Vol 4: Time of Your Life by Joss Whedon


Rating: 2.67

Liked: 2.5
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 2.5
Writing: 2.5
Art: 3.5

20. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 Vol 5: Predators and Prey by Joss Whedon


Rating: 2.67

Liked: 2.5
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 2.5
Writing: 2.5
Art: 3.5

21. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 Vol 6: Retreat by Jane Espenson


Rating: 3

Liked: 3
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Art: 3.5

22. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 Vol 7: Twilight by Brad Meltzer


Rating: 2.25

Liked: 2
Plot: 2
Characterization: 2
Writing: 2
Art: 3.5

23. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8 Vol 8: Last Gleaming by Joss Whedon


Rating: 2.67

Liked: 2.5
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 2.5
Writing: 2.5
Art: 3.5

Thoughts: MEH. This "season" was weird and bad in a lot of ways. And there were some moments that were so ridiculous it was hard not to chuck the borrowed books across the room.

And, sadly, I don't really know what they could do with the ending they gave us that would redeem the next "season" enough to make me want to read it.

All of which Joss basically says in his afterward of the 8th volume. He acknowledges that by taking the story in such a big picture, global way that he lost what most viewers had loved about the show the most, the Scooby Gang and their stories and how they reflect normal life while being anything but.

And he said they lost a lot of fans for the decisions they made. Reading these hasn't changed my opinion of the show but I was so excited to go on with Buffy and crew and now I'm kinda feeling like it should have just stopped when the show did... But I'm going to do some research and see what Season 9 holds and decide if I want to go from there.

24. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (read by Trini Alvarado)


Description: "From now on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I'll be a knight."

And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Disguised as a girl, Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page.

But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.

Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's first adventure begins -- one that will leard to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.

Thoughts: I read some of the Circle of Magic books many years ago but they didn't make a huge impression at the time and I haven't really felt all that inclined to pick up other books by Pierce. For some reason, there seems to be a lot of talk about her series cropping up in random places so I decided to just take a peek. I figured it be easier to start a new series than revisit the one I'd already read, so into Tortall we go.

I do see some of what the fuss is over Pierce but this book is far from perfect and won't be an instant favorite of mine. It has some great ideas and characters with an interesting world, but it is very brisk. There isn't much time allowed for anything, much less character and plot development. Pierce basically gives a really nice introduction to something and then expects us to take it at that, which pretty much means that people and situations are exactly what they seem in the first place. I like my good guys and bad guys with more depth and would like to see more of the unending training and learning the pages are supposedly going through. If it wasn't explicitly stated in the text, you could easily mistake this book for taking place in a manner of weeks instead of the YEARS it supposedly covers. YEARS in an audiobook that is only 5 hours!

It was enough, however, to convince me to try another book and see what happens. It's not a bad story and I do like some of the (albeit a bit one dimensional) characters, but it needs to beef up for sure.

Rating: 3.08

Liked: 3
Plot: 3
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Audio: 3.5

Looks like you've been on a vampire slaying binge. I'm trying to catch up on threads. I'm hoping to make it to McKays tomorrow to see if I can make a start on my belated Thingaversary purchases. I've also got quite a few books to take for trade.

Stopping by with Happy Easter weekend wishes for you, Leah!

>53 thornton37814: If only the slaying had been more entertaining! I drive by McCay's twice a day now and yet I've managed to not stop in for months. I should probably do that soon, I could certainly offload some books.

>54 lkernagh: Thanks Lori!

25. In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce (read by Trini Alvarado)


Description: Disguised as a boy, Alanna of Trebond becomes a squire, to none other than the prince of the realm. But Prince Jonathan is much more to Alanna; he is her ally, her best friend, and one of the few who knows that she's really a girl. Now it will take all of Alanna's awesome skill, strength, and growing magical powers to protect him from the mysterious evil sorcerer who is bent on his destruction, and hers!

Here continues the story of Alanna, a young woman bound for glory who is willing to fight against enormous odds for what she believes in.

Thoughts: I don't really know why I'm still interested in the story of Allana, as this book was as brisk and one dimensional as the last. Situations crop up and are resolved quickly, perhaps with an entertaining sword fight, but the story rapidly moves on to some other thing. The fact that Allana and Jonathan become lovers with barely a few pages of effort and then almost zero attention paid to it again is mind boggling to me. The "ordeal of Knighthood" that is this huge looming event through two books is handled rather carelessly in a few minutes time. I just don't get how unsubstantial some of this is!

But I still want to know what happens with Alanna and the others. In that regard I guess I like these, but I can't really say why.

Rating: 2.91

Liked: 3
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 2.5
Writing: 3
Audio: 3.5

Am I the only person who doesn't love the Tortall books? They have thousands of review and average over 4 stars... Am I missing something?

>55 leahbird: I did more off-loading of books than acquiring. I got 1 songbook and 2 DVD sets. I still have tons of credit. I did return home with a bunch of the books I took though. They seem to be taking fewer of the trade paperbacks than they used to take. They took some of my non-fiction stuff, but not all of it.

Hi Leah! I hope you're enjoying the weekend. Are you doing an egg hunt for Addy? My neighbor across the street hid eggs for his granddaughter to find this evening. She's in 3rd grade. She said they were practicing for a bigger egg hunt tomorrow.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend, Leah!

>58 thornton37814: Glad you got rid of one but too bad they wouldn't take them all. I guess they have to run out of room at some point!

>59 cbl_tn: She's with her dad tomorrow so we're saving our Easter activities for Monday. I will get to watch my little cousins hunt for eggs tomorrow though!

>60 jolerie: Thanks, you as well!

I might be MIA for a few days. I'm having my 18 yr old dog, my companion of 12 yrs, Daisy, put to sleep tomorrow. It's been coming for a long while and I've finally decided to stop being selfish. I have been a mess for two days already so I'm probably not going to be fit for anything for a bit. Hug your fur babies for me.

>62 leahbird: So sorry, Leah. I will keep you and Daisy in my thoughts.

>62 leahbird: I'll be thinking of you and Daisy today when I cuddle Adrian. I'm sorry for your loss.

Sorry to read about Daisy, Leah. We don't have a furkid at the moment, so I will send you a virtual hug instead. {{{Leah}}}

>62 leahbird: Terribly sorry to hear about Daisy. I did the same last year and it was one of the harder things I have had to do. Just remember that it is so hard because you care so much.

I'm sorry to hear about your dog. :( It's incredibly difficult to have to go through that. But at least you'll always remember how much you loved each other. And that it's for her own best, so she won't have to suffer.
And now I'm going to go hug my kitty a little extra hard.

Sorry to hear about your dog, Leah. I know how tough that call is to make. Hugs for you and I promise to pass on a hug from you to my cat tonight. :)

*Hugs* :(

Oh, I'm so sorry. Thinking of you.

Sorry to hear about Daisy. Hugs for you!

Sorry to hear that Leah. Gentle hugs coming your way.

Thank you all for your thoughts and words. It was a really rough few days but I'm starting to feel a bit more normal. Tuesday I was actually very composed all day as we spent our last hours together and didn't become overwhelmed until the vet arrived at the house and I had t really face it. It was fast and respectful and Daisy is now buried next to my dear Gus where they can keep an eye on us all.

I'm mostly at peace with it now and was able to talk about it with a work friend yesterday without crying (even when she cried for me) but my routine is so thrown off that I still feel out of step. For the first time in over 12 years, I don't have to think about going out with the dog before bed or letting her out in the morning. It makes me constantly feel like I'm forgetting to do something important which has me on edge a bit. It was also difficult to see my room without Daisy's bed in it and her food bowls moved from their spot.

But I'm getting there. Staying busy is helping. Escaping into fantasy worlds is much appreciated at the moment. ;)

26. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce (read by Trini Alvarado)


Description: "Let her prove herself worthy as a man."

Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death -- either she will be killed or she will be inducted into the tribe. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead. As her mythic fate would have it, Alanna soon becomes the tribe's first female shaman -- despite the desert dwellers' grave fear of the foreign woman warrior. Alanna must fight to change the ancient tribal customs of the desert tribes -- for their sake and for the sake of all Tortall.

Thoughts: Minus the tired old "exotic brown people" and "desert people" who withhold power from women stuff, this one was better. Pierce finally settled down to covering shorter time periods and included a bit more than the action scenes. Still too brisk for my real tastes, but I admit to being drawn into the saga of Allana enough to know I'll probably keep listening to the rest of this long series unless something significantly disappoints me.

I will say that I have a bit of irritation at Pierce's handling of Alanna's romances. I'm almost done with the next in the series and there is another romance pretty much tumbled into that has very little attention paid to it. What's the point of throwing Alanna into the bed of men if the romances receive very little narrative weight?

Rating: 3

Liked: 3
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Audio: 3.5

27. Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce (read by Trini Alvarado)


Description: "I'm not sure I want to be a hero anymore."

Having achieved her dream of becoming the first female knight errant, Alanna of Trebond is not sure what to do next. Perhaps being a knight errant is not all that Alanna needs....But Alanna must push her uncertainty aside when a new challenge arises. She must recover the Dominion Jewel, a legendary gem with enormous power for good -- but only in the right hands. And she must work quickly. Tortall is in great danger, and Alanna's archenemy, Duke Roger, is back -- and more powerful than ever. In this final book of the Song of the Lioness quartet, Alanna discovers that she indeed has a future worthy of her mythic past -- both as a warrior and as a woman.

Thoughts: I just don't get why there is so little development of plot and relationships in these books! Things just happen, there is rarely much build up and then very little examination of effect. We're simply told that this person is this and that person means this much and everyone is falling in and out of love basically at the drop of a hat.

Most frustrating is that the main antagonist of the whole 4 book series, Roger, is brought back to life and everyone goes on about their business like it's basically nothing and then when he turns out to, SHOCKER, still be evil and trying to take over everything, it's not even really explained what he hoped to accomplish by shaking Tortall to pieces with earthquakes! WHAT THE HELL???

These books have such an ardent fan base and I guess I just expected them to be a bit... more substantial? Maybe I just got to them too late? The story is interesting but it's just so undeveloped that it makes me crazy.

I do want to keep listening because I've heard that her later books are longer (which hopefully means more fleshed out) and I'd like to know what happens to Alanna and friends, which should be covered since one of the quartets is about her daughter, but I think I'm burned out right now.

Rating: 2.75

Liked: 2.5
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 2.5
Writing: 3
Audio: 3.5

PS: Also, these covers are the WORST! Such bad 80s graphic design.

ETA: I take that back. The original covers from the 80s were so much better than these audiobook covers. I don't know when they were made but they are so unappealing.

Amazon Recommendations just informed me that Christopher Moore has a sequel to A Dirty Job called Secondhand Souls, coming out in August. A Dirty Job wasn't one of my favorites of Moore's but neither was Fool and I thoroughly enjoyed The Serpent of Venice. Since I liked A Dirty Job better than Fool to begin with, I am pretty excited about this book!

Now, if it was another book like Lamb (couldn't really be a sequel and be as moving) or a sequel to Sacre Bleu, I'd be through the roof.

OOoooooooooOOOOooohhh!! :D

>76 leahbird: Ooh, that's exciting!!

Yay for Moore fans!

This is why I stalk Amazon Recommendations even though they are mostly terrible. Another book I didn't know was happening yet, the third installment in Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, Library of Souls, is due out in September. This one I'm not overly excited about having found Hollow City disappointing but I'm sure I'll still read it.

>80 leahbird: My Amazon recommendations are a mixed bag. They are mostly on target, but Amazon doesn't know what I've read from the library, borrowed from friends, or read in the past.

I don't like Amazon knowing everything about me (I don't like Amazon much at all, and only shop there when I have no alternative) so while I do have a slew of wishlists on there my recommendations are usually pretty off as I purposefully remove recommendations that are pretty good and add things to lists even if I'm not interested. Just to mess with Amazon.

>81 thornton37814: I don't like how they recommend all kinds of things just because Member A and I have bought one book in common. So many of the recommendations are crap because Member A likes crap books but happened to buy something good one ever. And I don't like that they seem unable to recognize different editions and formats as the same book and keep recommending things I already own.

But occasionally I get great recommendations and often get tipped off about upcoming installments from my favorite series and authors which makes it worth it for me.

>82 PawsforThought: That's hilarious!

Oh man, Amazon recommendations. I searched for Star Wars sex toys one time and it still haunts me...

28. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett


Description: A dying wizard tries to pass on his power to an eighth son of an eighth son, who is just at that moment being born. The fact that the son is actually a daughter is discovered just a little too late.

Thoughts: That is a terrible description but it's the only one I can find. Equal Rites is the third published Discworld book and the first to change the focus from Rincewind and Twoflower. Having rather enjoyed those books I was a bit nervous to see how this new series might differ, but I had nothing to be concerned about.

I had to look up a timeline to see exactly how these all related in time and found that Equal Rites takes place roughly two years after the events of The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. It doesn't specifically reference any of the events of those books, but there are several similar locations and the tone of the book certainly builds upon those nicely. While the Rincewind stories focused on the nature of magic, Equal Rites looks at the ways magic is gendered. It manages a wonderful balance so that it isn't a stereotypical women's rights story but, instead, a playful look at how women have often subverted male power by cultivating their own and viewing (rather rightly) that the men are missing the point. The characters of Granny Weatherwax and Eskarina Smith are wonderful and I can't wait to spend more time with them in other Witches books.

My only complaint about this one is that the last section is too brisk. (What is up with my needing to use that descriptor so much lately?) The early sections are so nicely paced and given space to grow but the action in the last 1/3 seem to rush to the conclusion. It's all wonderful stuff it's just too quick and I felt cheated out of some experience.

Highly recommend!

Rating: 4.1

Liked: 4
Plot: 4
Characterization: 4.5
Writing: 4

29. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (read by Mandy Williams)


Description: In the kingdom of Goredd, dragons and humans live and work side by side – while below the surface, tensions and hostility simmer.

The newest member of the royal court, a uniquely gifted musician named Seraphina, holds a deep secret of her own. One that she guards with all of her being.

When a member of the royal family is brutally murdered, Seraphina is drawn into the investigation alongside the dangerously perceptive—and dashing—Prince Lucien. But as the two uncover a sinister plot to destroy the wavering peace of the kingdom, Seraphina’s struggle to protect her secret becomes increasingly difficult… while its discovery could mean her very life.

Thoughts: I'm surprised it took me this long to read this! I guess I was ignoring it because of the hype, but the hype turned out to be pretty well deserved.

This new look at dragons in human form (and all the problems and possibilities that brings with it) was quite interesting and gave a nice fresh side to a court intrigue story that otherwise would have been very average.

Seraphina is a very likeable and sympathetic character, strong willed and determined to do the right thing even when it puts her in danger, but vulnerable and lonely because of all she has to hide.

The plot is nicely paced and thoroughly explored, with nice unobtrusive hints to the unraveling mystery scattered along the way. I very much appreciated a story where I could pick out some of the hidden details but was still surprised by some things in the end.

The romantic aspects were a little bit forced at the beginning but it feels much more balanced by the end.

As for the audio, Mandy Williams does an excellent job with Seraphina's voice and narration, and many of the other characters as well, but some of her male voices are hindered and too similar.

Rating: 4.08

Liked: 4
Plot: 4
Characterization: 4.5
Writing: 4
Audio: 4

Is anyone else planning on watching The Casual Vacancy miniseries? I think it's broadcasting in the UK right now but HBO is going to show it sometime soon. Reading the book was gut wrenching enough, I don't know how I will deal with live action but I'm very interested to see how it turns out.

>87 leahbird: I'm planning to watch it, though probably not live. I believe it's airing on the 29th and 30th of April. I haven't read the book; it sounds like something I would enjoy more to watch than read.

I was glad I read it when it came out but I can't imagine that I will ever read it again. It was a bit like watching Schindler's List: worthwhile and shining a light on a difficult subject that needs attention but you don't really want to go through it again. I imagine it would be easier to watch just based on the fact that it won't be as in depth but I can't believe that it will make a huge difference.

>87 leahbird: I probably will at some point, but probably won't catch it live either.

I probably won't read it again either though.

30. Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (read by Tamora Pierce and the Full Cast Family)


Description: Thirteen-year-old DaIne has always had a knack with animals, but it's not until she's forced to leave home that she realizes it's more than a knack -- it's magic. With this wild magic, not only can Daine speak to animals, but also she can make them obey her. Daine takes a job handling horses for the Queen's Riders, where she meets the master mage Numair and becomes his student.

Under Numair's guidance, Daine explores the scope of her magic. But she begins to sense other beings too: immortals. These bloodthirsty monsters have been imprisoned in the Divine Realms for the past four hundred years, but now someone has broken the barrier. It's up to Daine and her friends to defend their world from an immortal attack.

Thoughts: YAY, a Tamora Pierce book that I thought was well plotted! This one finally settled into a pace that I found reasonable and focused on a few months rather than years in such a short span (this one was just about 8 hours audio time).

Otherwise, I didn't find this story quite as engaging as the story of Alanna was, but it certainly still held my attention and had lots of interesting aspects. I can't really put my finger on why the story of a girl who can speak to animals didn't resonate with me more since that is probably the thing I would have wanted most when I was younger. The characters, however, are likeable and it was nice to see familiar people appear in supporting roles.

The magical concepts here could have been fleshed out more but I wasn't that bothered by it.

I found that I didn't enjoy Pierce's narration as much as I did Trini Alvarado's, which is disappointing from an author reading her own work, and the Full Cast character readers weren't always appealing when doing familiar characters, but it wasn't a bad recording overall. Except for the fake medieval musical flourishes at the chapter breaks. I HATE THAT!

All in all, I'm happy with this new quartet within the Tortall universe and interested to see where it goes next.

Rating: 3.58

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5

I've yet to read any of the Wildwood books by Colin Meloy but they have the BEST covers! Carson Ellis is a genius.

>93 leahbird: That is pretty.

After investigating Carson Ellis more I found that she illustrates the covers of The Mysterious Benedict Society books too! The cover of the first one is the whole reason I was drawn to it and then ended up rather liking the series.

I like her work so much that this is now the wallpaper on my phone.

31. Wolf Speaker by Tamora Pierce (read by Tamora Pierce and the Full Cast Family)


Description: When Daine is summoned by the wolf pack that saved her life a year earlier, she knows she has to go. She and Numair travel to Dunlath Valley to answer the call. But when they arrive, Daine realizes with a shock that it's not just the animals whose lives are threatened; people are in danger too. Dunlath's rulers have discovered black opals in their valley and are dead set on mining the magic these stones embody. Daine learns that Dunlath's lord and lady plan to use this power to overthrow King Jonathan -- even if it means irreversibly damaging the land and killing their workers.

On a mission to save both her animal friends and her human ones, Daine has to master her wild magic in order to fight for the kingdom and triumph over the would-be usurpers.

Thoughts: This one was even more compact in it's time frame, taking place over two weeks or so. Unfortunately, now Pierce is dragging things out a bit TOO much. From too fast to too slow, there has to be happy medium in here somewhere.. (To be fair, the last one did that pretty well.)

I like the broadening of Daine's horizons in this one but found the fact that her body is changing into different animal bits a little hard to take. It's just weird and feels totally unnecessary.

Rating: 3.25

Liked: 3
Plot: 3
Characterization: 3.5
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5

>96 leahbird: The Daine books are probably my least-favorite Tamora Pierce books.

Which of Pierce's are your favorites? I read a couple of the Circle of Magic books about 15 years ago but I don't remember much about them. I decided to go with Tortall instead just to not repeat right up front but I feel more and more like maybe these just aren't really my cup of tea. I like the characters enough to be interested to see what happens to them but I'm not really seriously engrossed.

>98 leahbird: Well, I enjoyed the Alanna books more than you seem to have done, but my favorites are probably the next quartet, Protector of the Small. And I thought the Circle of Magic books were okay -- enjoyable, but not something I'm likely to revisit (unless I need a memory refresher when a new book comes out).

I watched The Casual Vacancy miniseries yesterday. It had some great moments and performances in it but overall it carried nowhere near the weight of the novel. The girl who played Crystal was wonderful but they cut out so much of her backstory that what is there just doesn't add up completely. Everything was just too flat. Too bad.

>99 foggidawn: I'll look forward to that subseries then!

>100 leahbird: I thought it was great, having not read the book. I wasn't sure how interested I was in the book but now I think I'm more likely to read it.

I think I would have liked it a lot if I hadn't read the book already. There is just SO much more depth in the book that I was missing watching it. I do think they did a decent job for an adaptation but adaptation are rarely truly satisfying.

32. Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce (read by Tamora Pierce and the Full Cast Family)


Description: Sent to Carthak as part of the Tortallan peace delegation, Daine finds herself in the middle of a sticky political situation. She doesn't like the Carthaki practice of keeping slaves, but it's not her place to say anything -- she's just there to heal the emperor's birds. It's extremely frustrating! What's more, her power has grown in a mysterious way.

As the peace talks stall, Daine puzzles over Carthak's two-faced Emperor Ozorne. How can he be so caring with his birds and so cruel to his people? Daine is sure he's planning something. Daine must fight the powerful Emperor Mage, knowing that the safety and peace of the realm depend on stopping Ozorne's power-hungry schemes.

Thoughts: The pacing on this one was much much better but there were some generalities present in this that are just tired and a bit offensive. Overall not a bad plot if you don't mind another story about exotic brown people being morally corrupt while the visiting white guys are all noble and kind.

Rating: 3.25

Liked: 3
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5

33. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan (read by Nick Chamian)


Description: Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen-all of them-and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood-the blood of Olympus-in order to wake.

The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it might be able to stop a war between the two camps.

The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

Thoughts: For some reason I thought this was the next to last book in the series instead of the last. For a last installment, it was pretty underwhelming.

The weirdest thing is that Riordan decided to interject all the current pop culture references in this one. He hasn't really done that before and it stood out like a flashing neon sign here. Not only will these things feel dated for later readers, but when exactly do teenage demigods who have been fighting for their lives and the future of mankind for years now have the time to consume enough pop culture that it would work it's way into the way they speak to each other? Umm, they don't.

Oh well.

Rating: 2.91

Liked: 3
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 3
Writing: 3
Audio: 3

Have any of you read The Girl With All the Gifts? I see that it's horrory and has zombies in it so I'm not sure if it's my thing, but everyone's been raving about it and the description is very interesting. Any thoughts? I don't mind horror for a good reason but I don't like to be scared just to be scared and I don't care for gore.

>106 leahbird: It's definitely not scary for the sake of being scary. It's science fiction, not horror. I can email you the audiobook files if you want, I got it from LTER. Read by Finty Williams who is very good.

I read your review after Stephen said you'd recommeded it to him which helped with my concerns. I think I might give it a try. I can get it from Overdrive right now, but thanks for the offer!

I'm going to read it eventually as well, but I don't know if I'll get to it any time soon. I already have a zombie book picked out for my Halloween reading and right now I'm focusing on a category challenge I'm doing, Eventually though, I swear! >_>

34. Fables Vol 21: Happily Ever After by Bill Willingham


Description: In the aftermath of Bigby Wolf’s destruction, a shift in the Fables’ underlying power structure threatens to split their community into two warring factions - one led by Snow White, the other by her sister Rose Red. Accelerating this process are the machinations of an unsuspected enemy within, who brings Bigby back from the dead with all of his lethal power but with none of his redeeming humanity.

After thirteen years and tales beyond counting, the saga of Fabletown is drawing to a close - but it’s not going gentle into that good night. With HAPPILY EVER AFTER, the creative juggernaut of Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha and Andrew Pepoy are joined by an armada of special guest talents - including Matthew Sturges, Eric Shanower, Shawn McManus, Jae Lee, Terry Moore, Russ Braun and Chrissie Zullo - for the penultimate chapter in the celebrated FABLES chronicles!

Thoughts: I was not particularly pleased with this penultimate volume. The Bigby plot line was infuriating. The story of Snow and Rose's mother was great but it's impact on these final 2 volumes of Fables is stupid and irritating. All the little "last stories" were either pointlessly vague/uninteresting or interesting but wholly out of context and frustratingly brief.

This volume now has me terrified for the finale to come out. Please please don't let my love of this series and my dedication end in something terrible. I've bought all 21 volumes, a companion novel, a graphic prequel, and a companion encyclopedia. PLEASE do this finale justice!

Rating: 2.83

Liked: 2.5
Plot: 2.5
Characterization: 2.5
Writing: 3
Art: 4

>34 PawsforThought: Oh no! I got turned on to Fables late and am still catching up but this seems like it is going the wrong direction.

>111 Oberon: Which Vol are you on now? There is a wobbly bit in the middle but it gets good again after that. This one probably wasn't as objectively bad as some of the earlier ones I really didn't enjoy (Werewolves of the Heartland was definitely worse but since it was a companion it can be overlooked in the bigger picture) but as the penultimate volume it was very disappointing, mostly because of what it seems to be leading up to in the finale.

35. The Girl With All the Gifts by MR Carey (read by Finty Williams)


Description: Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her "our little genius."

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

The Girl With All the Gifts is a groundbreaking thriller, emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end.

Thoughts: I was extremely hesitant to listen to this, as I'm really not into zombies, but I'm glad that I didn't let that keep me from going ahead. This was certainly not what I was expecting, nor was it a typical zombie story by any stretch.

The characters are interesting and relatable even when they are far from average human beings. Melanie, the main protagonist, is extremely interesting and her journey to self awareness is captivating. The supporting cast of scientists, teachers, and soldiers is varied in their motivation and experience which makes for enough interpersonal dynamics to stay fresh in interesting.

The story is loosely in 3 parts. The first part was incredibly engaging and so different from what I was expecting. Part 2 was still quite interesting, even if it was closer to standard fare for this sort of story. The third part was a bit of a let down after the power of the first part and the ending was not really what I was hoping for, but it still managed to be surprising and carry it's own weight.

I was just very much hoping that they would make it to Beacon and do something amazing. Justineau and Melanie making waves in Beacon would have been so interesting. Maybe there will be a sequel that takes place before all the humans are dead...

Rating: 3.91

Liked: 4
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 4
Audio: 4

>112 leahbird: I have read Fables, Vol. 18: Cubs in Toyland. I missed one or two before that. I thought Cubs in Toyland was very good if very depressing.

Cubs in Toyland was really really good. Sadly, it's the last one I've enjoyed.

I like to sew. That's a good thing since it's my job 4-5 days a week. But what I sew for work are cute baby carrier accessories and toys, mostly simple seams and top stitching. Quick and straightforward.

But I really really want to make my own clothes. I am very specific about my personal style and there is little available to me locally that fits into that style and FITS my body. But here's the problem: sewing patterns are rarely available in plus sizes meaning not only do I have to hunt down and pay for a pattern I like, but I then have to spend a lot of time AND MATH grading the pattern to the correct size. And it takes a lot of time. And fabric isn't cheap when you aren't a big fashion line that can buy by the truckload. So I don't make my own clothes very often.

So why in the world did I think it was a good idea to make a dress to wear to my brother's wedding? And why did that dress need to be totally custom designed by combining aspects of THREE separate patterns, each with their own delicate proportion issues? And I certainly didn't account for the sewing fatigue that I would have from sewing all day at work and really NOT wanting to sew again when I get home.

This was, obviously, not well thought out. And now I've put it off and put it off and the wedding is.... next Saturday. shitshitshitshitshitshit

If you hear of a sewing related death in TN, it's totally me.

>116 leahbird: I'm in admiration of your ability to sew. I understand what you mean about the lack of clothing that suits one's style and body shape. I really don't like sleeveless dresses at all, but that's about all one can find these days in my size. Even finding tops that I like can be a challenge. I don't sew (although I do own a sewing machine) so I don't have the option of creating my own things.

I love sleeveless but I can't wear them to work without a sweater. ;( That means most of my wardrobe is unwearable right now. I've been trying to find some shirts to buy but no luck. I think I have quite a bit of sewing in the near future.

Good luck, Leah! I've never sewn anything, but it seems so tedious! I hope you have the patience (and determination) to succeed.

>116 leahbird: Might I humbly suggest that you keep an eye on fabric.com for sales (they can have some great deals sometimes). As for patterns, McCalls and Simplicity both have some plus-size patterns that tend to me nicely adjustable. You may also want to check out websites like curvysewingcollective.com.

Thanks for the suggestions. I shop on Fabric.com a lot, more for work than for myself because me personal sewing projects tend to be spur of the moment.

I have purchased some patterns from both McCalls and Simplicity in the past, with varying success. Really, I think I'm too impatient to look through the books at the fabric store to find what I want. ;) I also seem to lack the ability to look at patterns in the awful cover images on most patterns and envisage something I would actually wear. I'm getting better at it but slowly.

CurvySewingCollective is actually helping in that department because their pattern reviews are awesome! I like how they explain how they graded and tweaked patterns and it's a lot easier for me to see their finished products and decide if it's something I might like. I actually used one of their reviews as inspiration for the outfit I'm currently working on!

>121 leahbird: I don't like sitting in the shop and flipping through the pattern books, either. Plus, patterns at regular cost are too expensive. So, I wait for a Joann Fabrics sale (about once every 2 months or so they'll have a 5 for $5 sale on Simplicity or Butterick or McCalls patterns), then go to the Simplicity/Butterick/McCalls web site, browse their patterns online and make a list to take with me. That way I'm in and out of the shop quickly and I can check my stash of patterns at home against my list before I go (otherwise I've been known to buy duplicates because I'm a dingaling).

>121 leahbird: I used to love flipping through the pattern books as a child -- sitting on those high stools. Mom would often be flipping through another one, or she might have moved on to retrieve the pattern from the drawer or get fabric, thread, buttons, zippers, trim, or whatever she needed. Unfortunately I am not very proficient at sewing. It wasn't something I really enjoyed. Now I wish I'd learned a bit more about it. My Aunt Daisy was actually the best seamstress in the family. My cousin and I had a lot of hand-smocked items when we were little because of her efforts!

Made serious progress tonight on "the outfit." I finished tweaking the lining (aka the test piece I could throw away if things went horribly wrong) and actually got it almost exactly as I had envisaged! I ended up redrafting the pattern from all the little changes I made to the lining which was a major headache, but I think it will mean that tomorrow evening I can cut the outer fabric with only mild anxiety. So long as I didn't screw anything up in redrafting the pattern, I'll have the skirt (secretly a 3/4 circle skirt pair of culottes, shh) finished then.

Then it's just the top to figure out but I think it's going to be much more straightforward and should go quickly. No lining to bother with and much less math!

36. The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce (read by Tamora Pierce and the Full Cast Family)


Description: During a dire battle against the fearsome Skinners, Daine and her mage teacher Numair are swept into the Divine Realms. Though happy to be alive, they are not where they want to be. They are desperately needed back home, where their old enemy, Ozorne, and his army of strange creatures are waging war against Tortall.

Trapped in the mystical realms Daine discovers her mysterious parentage. And as these secrets of her past are revealed so is the treacherous way back to Tortall. So they embark on an extraordinary journey home, where the fate of all Tortall rests with Daine and her wild magic.

Thoughts: Overall I haven't loved any of the Tortall books, but I was appreciating the Daine books a bit more than I had first enjoyed the Alanna books. Something about Daine's stories failed to really wow me, but I was getting along just fine.

Until this book. This is so so so bad. It's a big stew of discordant plots that are supposedly wrapping the series up but really just end up making little sense. Creatures are introduced for no purpose at all. The fearsome Skinners that truly seemed terrifying are just a very quick and convenient way to get Daine into the right place. There is almost no mention of them again even though they seem to have been set on destroying the whole world in short time when Daine encounters them. But no, they don't need a second thought. Lalalala.

It was just so massively disappointing. All of the other characters we love were almost completely ignored and Daine couldn't even commune with the animals because they were all gods instead of mortal animals.

Not to mention that, while Numair is a very likeable character and I saw the romance coming way back, it was still particularly icky that he, 30 something, and Daine, just barely 16, end up together. Characterwise they are probably perfect for each other but Pierce went out of her way to stress their ages and it's therefore weird and unappealing. Yes yes, basically medieval times and it was pretty common, but it just doesn't sit well in my head. Yuck.

And how come all the animal gods have names except for the one we've known all along, who is simply called Badger?

And how come a trip to the Realms of the Gods was so boringly familiar and just a bunch of friggin walking around? AHHHHHHH!

Rating: 2.67

Liked: 2.5
Plot: 2
Characterization: 3
Writing: 2.5
Audio: 3.5

Huh, that's basically the same rating I gave The Lioness Rampant, but last book in the Lioness Quartet subseries. Maybe Pierce is just particularly bad at endings.

>124 leahbird: Yay, way to go! There will be photos of you modelling the results, yes?

If it all turns out well, yes. If it's a flop I'll probably take a pass on the documentation. ;)

I was so tired of seeing snow at the top of my thread when I logged on that I had to change it! Updated to something warm and fun.

37. First Test by Tamora Pierce (read by Bernadette Dunne)


Description: Tamora Pierce returns to the land of Tortall with a heroine who refuses to quit in this first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Protector of the Small series.

Ten years after knighthood training was opened to both males and females, no girl has been brave enough to try. But knighthood is Keladry's one true desire, and so she steps forward to put herself to the test.

Up against the traditional hazing of pages and a grueling schedule, Kel faces one roadblock that seems insurmountable: Lord Wyldon, the training master of pages and squires. He is absolutely against girls becoming knights. So while he is forced to train her, Wyldon puts her on a probationary trial period that no male page has ever had to endure. Further set apart from her fellow trainees, Kel's path to knighthood is now that much harder. But she is determined to try, and she's making friends in the most unlikely places. One thing is for sure, Kel is not a girl to underestimate.

Thoughts: My main worry for this series is that it's going to return to the insanely brisk pace that the Alanna series had, which was my major complaint. Other than that, I like that we're back in the castle training with the pages instead of hoping all over the world like Daine did.

It's nice to see Kel's journey as a female page, since Alanna's training story didn't get to cover the issues a girl really faces in the "boy's world" of knighthood training. So far, Kel has come up against the same issues of bullying, constant training, and working extra hard to prove that she's as good as everyone else, but Kel also faces outright discrimination from some of the other pages and even her superoirs. It's nice to watch her face up to these with not only strength and positivity, but with a compassion for others.

I think foggidawn might be right in her preference of this quartet over the others. Hopefully it holds back it's breakneck pace.

Rating: 3.58

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5

38. Page by Tamora Pierce (read by Bernadette Dunne)


Description: As the first openly female page in a century, 11-year-old Keladry of Mindelan has an uphill battle to fight. In addition to proving herself worthy of being a page, Kel spends her time defending first-year pages from bullies, staying on top of homework, conquering her paralyzing fear of heights, and keeping up with Lord Wyldon's grueling physical training schedule.

Kel's detractors do everything in their power to thwart her progress, from tormenting her friends to sabotaging the Midwinter Festivities, to kidnapping her maid and dog on the day of final examinations.

The tide of resistance begins to turn slightly as Kel proves time and again that she is capable and determined.

Tamora Pierce revisits the imaginary Kingdom of Tortall in this sequel to First Test: Protector of the Small. Fans of Pierce's exotic fantasy sequences will be hard-pressed to put either book down. Kel is a valuable role model: she's proud of being a girl, and she never wavers in her conviction that she can do anything a boy can - and usually do it better.

Thoughts: I'm rather enjoying this subseries! The pacing is pretty good, we're staying put in Tortall with a fairly consistent cast of characters, and actually getting to focus on the path to knighthood! I appreciate Kel's determination and hard work and the way she deals with those around her fairly and compassionately.

Rating: 3.83

Liked: 4
Plot: 4
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5

39. Squire by Tamora Pierce (read by Bernadette Dunne)


Description: At the age of 14 and standing 5 foot 10, Keladry of Mindelan is a squire. A squire serves and learns from a seasoned knight for four years, then faces a final test. That final test is the Ordeal, which takes place in a magical room called the Chamber. There, a squire encounters the parts of him or herself that the Chamber deems to be the most difficult to face—be they fears, failings, or unrepented wicked deeds. Does Kel have what it takes to survive?

Thoughts: This subseries continues to impress. So many good things going on in this installment!

The best part though? The Ordeal was much more clear and interesting this time around than it was in the case of Alanna. I get it now!

Rating: 3.83

Liked: 4
Plot: 4
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5

>131 leahbird: It occurs to me that I actually read the Protector of the Small series first, which may be why I have a more positive outlook on Pierce's Tortall books in general.

That could totally do it! Although there is a chance I would have been more critical of it if I hadn't had issues with the others first, I do think Pierce has found her stride with this one.

Just leaving myself a note to look for Serafina and the Black Cloak on Overdrive after July 14.

>135 leahbird: I saw that one on the Amazon 'new releases' list yesterday and thought it looked good...

It has an interesting premise that I look forward to checking out but I'm mostly drawn to it because I know the Vanderbilt descendants who own Biltmore. I've spent a lot of time wandering those halls and I'm fascinated by the idea of a secret life there.

>135 leahbird: Leah, I may actually enjoy that one because of its setting. Since it is YA, I might give it a try.

40. Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce (read by Bernadette Dunne)


Description: Keladry of Mindelan has finally achieved her life-long dream of being a knight. But it’s not turning out as she imagined at all. With the land of Tortall at war with the Scanrans, she has been assigned to oversee a refugee camp. But Kel has had a vision in the Chamber—a vision of the man behind the horrific battle machines that her fellow knights and friends are now fighting without her. She is torn between a duty she has sworn and a quest that she feels could turn the tide of the war.

Thoughts: I'm sad that this subseries is done. I really liked Kel and her compatriots and would have happily read a few more books about her adventures. I greatly appreciated that Kel was just an ordinary girl who pushed herself to be the best she could be and to never ignore the pain and suffering of others to get what she wanted.

I have only two real complaints about this one. Firstly, the climax of the story was handled a bit too quickly and easily for my tastes, but it wasn't out f character for Pierce's books. Secondly, I'm irritated that we don't get to find out what happens to Kel in the romance department. On the one hand, Kel is the most independent and focused of Pierce's heroines, never letting boys turn her head too much from her goals and business. That's nice to see. And Pierce didn't just throw her together with someone at the end of the series to wrap it up, thank heavens. But it was immensely frustrating to watch Kel's feelings grow and change and to not really get an answer as to who she would end up with. Three other weddings at the end but we couldn't even get a clear answer about Kel and Dom or Kel and ANYONE?

I would recommend this subseries with much less reservation than the others I've read so far and I'm glad I stuck it out through the ones I didn't love to get to this one!

Rating: 3.99

Liked: 4
Plot: 4.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 4
Audio: 3.5

41. Terrier by Tamora Pierce (read by Susan Denaker)


Description: Tamora Pierce begins a new Tortall trilogy introducing Beka Cooper, an amazing young woman who lived 200 years before Pierce's popular Alanna character. For the first time, Pierce employs first-person narration in a novel, bringing readers even closer to a character that they will love for her unusual talents and tough personality.

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, and she's been assigned to the Lower City. It's a tough beat that's about to get tougher, as Beka's limited ability to communicate with the dead clues her in to an underworld conspiracy. Someone close to Beka is using dark magic to profit from the Lower City's criminal enterprises--and the result is a crime wave the likes of which the Provost's Guard has never seen before.

Thoughts: While not as engaging as The Protector of the Small quartet, I'm liking the story of Beka and her experiences as a commoner in Tortall. There is a lot of slang that gets tiring after a while, even if I'm sure it's how the characters would probably speak.

I wish Pierce hadn't relied so heavily on the Dog metaphor so much. It's probably the weakest aspect of the book and I think the story would have worked just as well without it.

Otherwise, a pretty good installment.

Rating: 3.75

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 4.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 3.5

You know how they say everyone has a story in them? I've had maybe 3 or 4 really seriously stuck in my head for a couple of years. Every once in a while I dream about one of them or something triggers a thought about one of them and then it's all I can think about for a few days.

Typically this goes no further than the dreaming or itchy thinking because I convince myself that a) I'm not a writer, writers are amazing and talented and fearless and I'm not those things and b) the stories in my head would not interest anyone else OR have already been done better by someone else. After a few days it fades away.

This time, the story the reemerged lingered. I haven't been sleeping well because my brain won't turn off. It's driving me to distraction. So I started jotting things down, little details and plot ideas and character sketches. Before I knew it I was really immersed in this. I haven't written this much fiction since early college, at least 12 years ago.

It's nice but terrifying. I'm trying to be brave and make myself submit it somewhere just to put it out there but it's sooooo intimidating.

Have you guys submitted work for publication before? What was your experience?

I have similar experiences with having idea that stick in my head, and I've even tried jotting them down a couple times, but I usually get really self-critical and abandon the attempt because I feel I could never measure up to all the authors I love so much. So, I've never made it to the stage you are at now, but I hope you can go through with it! It does, indeed, sound very intimidating.

>141 leahbird: I've written for library and genealogical publications, but I've not done an entire book -- just articles, chapters, and book reviews.

>142 Ape: We should start the Scaredy Pants Writers Guild!

>143 thornton37814: I've never had any problem showing people scholarly work I've written. I've always felt on solid footing there. I think maybe because that is the result of study and is the presentation of facts or opinions I don't have the same fear of people not liking it.

I guess it's because fiction writing is so much more personal. This comes only from me. It's made up of me. If people don't like it, obviously that means they don't like ME! Ok, I'm not that bad, but the thought does cross one's mind.

This is the third night in a row that I've been up past 3am writing. And I've been writing periodically throughout the days. I've either got to finish this or figure out some better way because I. Need. To. Sleep.

>145 leahbird: I can understand the need for sleep.

Have you guys seen how ADORABLE AND PERFECT the cover for Secondhand Souls is?!?!

Cuuuuuute!

>147 leahbird: Oooooh! Excited!

So the other day it was 94 degrees outside and I when I got to work in Knoxville the air conditioning was frozen because a box knocked the thermostat down to 55 degrees. It was sweltering in there and I was trying to demo how to babywear without dripping sweat on customers.

Today, It is 90 degrees outside. When I got to work in Maryville the air conditioning had been running all night and the system just wasn't cooling the store anymore. It's usually almost too good at cooling but here I am, again, sweating at work.

This is not a good look for me. Also, I get seriously grumpy when I'm too hot (or too cold, really). If anyone wants to swing by Tennessee and bring me an snow cone, I will love you forever.

>150 leahbird: It's 93 in Morristown right now. They can drop one of those snow cones off for me and for Carrie in Knoxville too! I did, however, use one of those flavor packages that you can buy to go in bottled water and make some cherry limeade while ago which hit the spot for me! I think I like the raspberry lemonade flavor better though. I had it yesterday when it only reached the 80s.

Today has been the BEST day! News of a Harry Potter play that fills in part of the story we don't know? Oh yes, please.

AND THEN

SCOTUS makes marriage equality the law of the land! I spent half my time at work today in tears of joy. I can't believe it happened. It's just the best news ever. Couples have already been married here in TN since the ruling came down. It's just awesome in the biggest sense of the word.

>152 leahbird: Today has been the BEST day! Agreed! Same reasons!

42. Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce (read by Susan Denaker)


Description: Beka Cooper is finally a Dog—a full-fledged member of the Provost’s Guard, dedicated to keeping peace in Corus’s streets. But there’s unrest in Tortall’s capital. Counterfeit coins are turning up in shops all over the city, and merchants are raising prices to cover their losses. The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeit money from Port Caynn. In Port Caynn, Beka delves deep into the gambling world, where she meets a charming banking clerk named Dale Rowan. Beka thinks she may be falling for Rowan, but she won’t let anything—or anyone—jeopardize her mission. As she heads north to an abandoned silver mine, it won’t be enough for Beka be her usual “terrier” self. She’ll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals—to be a Bloodhound. . . .

Thoughts: I still enjoy Beka and her friends but this story was a little less fulfilling than the first. The hunt just seemed a bit too forced. I loved the bits with Dale and Hans and Okha. Still decent but a little stale.

Susan Denekar's narration has really grown on me. I think she's the best narration so far, and one of the series was a Full Cast reading! She's got a bit of Katherine Kellgren's ear for accents and makes her characters nice and distinct.

Rating: 3.58

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3
Characterization: 4
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 4

As per usual, my Thingaversary came and went on Thursday without me remembering. 7 years on LT and I've never remembered it on the day.

To celebrate, albeit belatedly, I'm ordering

From Book Depository
Uprooted by Naomi Novik (the alternate cover I preordered from Amazon and then they magically didn't have)
The Light Fantastic, Wyrd Sisters, and Sorcery by Terry Pratchett (the Gollancz Discworld Collector's Library editions)

From Amazon
The Golden Compass 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (preordered to replace a very sad paperback, comes out Sept 22)
Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman (since the audiobook is apparently never going to be available on Overdrive)
Fairest Vol 3 by whoever the guest author is

Not too shabby!

Belated Thingaversary wishes! I will be trying my first Naomi Novik in July for the Category Challenge group's science fiction/fantasy "critters and creatures" month. I'll be listening to His Majesty's Dragon.

I devoured the Temeraire series a while back. I LOVED the first one and several of the others. The characters are always wonderful even when the plot gets a little wonky.

So, I'm sitting two miles from the site of a burning train that is full of a toxic, carcinogenic liquid that releases hydrogen cyanide when it burns. Hydrogen cyanide is what they used in Nazi concentration camps to gas Jewish prisoners. It's a recognized chemical warfare agent. But it's useful in making plastics! Why do we let this kind of stuff still exist?

I'm just at the edge of the evacuation zone at work but we're most likely closing up today. I don't really want to sit here this close to the deadly gas and it's not exactly creating a healthy shopping atmosphere.

http://www.thedailytimes.com/news/nation_world/train-derailment-fire-prompts-eva...

Mid-Year Review for 2015

Books read: 42

Paper books: 13
Kindle: 2
Audio: 27
New reads: 42
Rereads: 0

From my shelves: 2
New: 9
Library: 23

Fiction: 42
Non-Fiction: 0
Series: 37
Fantasy: 36
Sci-Fi: 4
Young adult: 17
Fairy Tales/Myths & Retellings: 4
Comics & Graphic Novels: 10
Classics: 0
Cookbooks: 0

Books by female authors: 18
Books by male authors: 24

I have been so hesitant to say this, but I am really kicking this year's goals ass! I don't think I've ever been ahead of schedule at this point and there are years where having read 42 books by December would be a major accomplishment. Thank god for audiobooks this year! I'd like to get some more physical reading in but I'm not going to complain!

>158 leahbird: Yuck! Hope you made it home safe.

>158 leahbird: That was a mess, wasn't it?! I hope things are returning to normal in your neck of the woods. Does the rain help or hurt with the cleanup?

We closed the store early that day because once the rain stopped the wind shifted and started blowing the smoke right over the mall. They did start letting people back into their homes after only 36 hours so it must have been dealt with easier than they thought. I haven't heard if the groundwater is safe or not, but that's a huge concern. Luckily our farm is on the other side of town and we don't have to worry about that.

>162 leahbird: I saw a report that the well-water was safe to drink.

I've hit a bit of a block in writing so I thought maybe I'd shake myself up by doing something VERY out of my comfort zone: asking for volunteer readers.

The piece that I'm needing eyes for is only 2.5 pages. It's part of a collection of connected essays, interviews, and journal entries that serve as a memoir for a small community. It's got a little bit of a World War Z structure, but there are no zombies and the stories are all localized and connected rather than global. This piece probably has the most broad appeal and it's the part that got me started writing again, so I feel the most sure about it.

Let me know if you are willing to read. There are no expectations on my end. You can just say whether you liked it or not or you can go into great detail about every aspect. I just need to get out of my own head and put it out there.

You can post in here or send me a PM if you're interested and I'll send you a link to the file.

I'm willing to take a look and give you some feedback.

Seems like they first tell you the well water is okay, and now they are telling you it is toxic. Glad bottled water is available for those of you close to the spill.

I feel terrible for those in the affected area. Not being able to trust your water is a hard thing. Those with livestock are certainly in for a lot of pain.

>165 drneutron: Just wanted to say again how grateful I am for your feedback on my story, Jim. It's definitely a help in getting the inspiration flowing again.

No problem! I hope you continue with the story and I get to read it. :)

I'm really loving this new preview for SyFy's The Magicians series. Can't wait to see if they can pull it off.

https://vimeo.com/133284745

43. Mastiff by Tamora Pierce (read by Susan Denaker)


Description: The Hunt is on! Three years have passed since Beka Cooper almost died in the sewers of Port Caynn. Now her life takes an unexpected turn when her fiance is killed on a slave raid. Then Lord Gershom himself appears at her door and in the span of hours Beka is plunged into a case that threatens the future of the Tortallan royal family and therefore the Tortallan government itself. This Hunt will take Beka to places she's never been and challenge her tracking skills beyond the city walls, as well as her ability to judge exactly who she can trust with her life and her country's future.

Thoughts: This was a very hard installment to decide my feelings on. There is a lot to love about this one: Beka and Achoo get to really show their skills, Beka and Tunstall are entrusted with a very important mission, and the new characters are interesting. We get to see how the poor live outside of Corus. It's all good stuff.

But the beginning and the ending were quite disappointing. First, why skip Beka's relationship with her fiance completely and only mention his death? If there was a point to it, I never got it. Not only is he simply dead from the first mention, the entire situation sounds completely unlike Beka. It felt very much tacked on.

And the ending. I had a terrible feeling that the traitor was going to end up being Tunstall and it was heartbreaking when it was confirmed. Again, it was so out of character that it didn't ring true. Tunstall would have known that Sabine would never forgive him and that it would all have been pointless. I hated it. I hated that this was how the series ended.

But I did quite like Farmer and wasn't disappointed that Beka fell for him. He is a good match for her.

This was a very good subseries of the Tortall universe. I liked it almost as much as the Lady Knight series. I just wish this very last book hadn't left this sadness and disappointment regarding Tunstall.

Rating: 3.66

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 4
Characterization: 3.5
Writing: 3.5
Audio: 4

44. The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherynne Valente (read by Heath Miller)


Description: When a young troll named Hawthorn is stolen from Fairyland by the Red Wind, he becomes a changeling-a human boy-in the strange city of Chicago, a place no less bizarre and magical than Fairyland. Left with a human family, Hawthorn struggles with his troll nature and his changeling fate, while attending school and learning about human kindnesses-and un-kindnesses.

In a starred review, Kirkus noted, "Every page of this book contains at least one stunning sentence. Valente's descriptions of the human world make it sound like an exotic place, even when she just lists things to see: "diamonds and dinosaur bones and Canadian geese and the Cathedral of Notre Dame and ballpoint pens." Readers may wish the words were food, so they could eat them up. And they may keep reading this series for just as long as people have been arguing about Oz."

Time magazine has praised Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland books as "one of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century." In this fourth installment of her saga, Valente's wisdom and wit will charm readers of all ages.

Thoughts: I didn't really know what to expect from a Fairyland book that wasn't about September, but as this one started out, I was very very pleasantly surprised. Seeing our world through the eyes of Fairyland was immensely interesting and Hawthorn/Tom is such a boy! I loved his imagination and the way he interpreted the world. I also LOVE Tamburlaine.

And this love and joy held me very captive for half the book. The change of scenery in the second half disappointed me a bit, but not so much that I could say I didn't find the merit in it. The third quarter felt a little lost to me, a little TOO imaginative even for Fairyland but the prose was still lovely.

The last quarter brought everything to an interesting conclusion and set up the next book, The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home, the last in the series as far as I know. I don't know if I'm ready to let it all go, but March looks to be the finish line.

Rating: 3.67

Liked: 3.5
Plot: 3.5
Characterization: 4
Writing: 4
Audio: 3.5

My copy of Go Set a Watchman came today but I'm so afraid to actually start reading it after all the internet gossip about it. It was meant to be our book club book for next month but we've had to cancel the past 3 meetings so that may not be a thing any more.

Anyone else reading it?

So, a while back my store decided to do an exclusive print with Tula, a major baby carrier brand, retailing for $149 to $189. They have RAVENOUS fans worldwide so things can get a little crazy. I helped the store owner and our online manager pick fabric and make the design decisions on this so I was pretty excited about it.

Well, it shipped to us earlier than we thought and the store owner decided to go ahead and release it early.... and we broke the internet. Our site usually has a dozen or so orders a day, we do a couple grand in sales in the stores. Today we had over 10,000 people on our website at one time trying to score one of less than 100 carriers. It was INSANE.

But I'm pretty proud of this beautiful item I had such a hand in.

Here it is. It's called Thistle.

They finally released cover art for the 20th Anniversary edition of The Golden Compass, due out Sept 22! It's not exactly what I had in mind but I think I like it. I hope it feels really deluxe. I don't think I knew it was going to be slipcased when I preordered but that gives me a lot of hope for quality.



I think this is still my favorite cover but it was only released in paperback so I couldn't make myself buy it (they did use the image for a hardcover but with a big band across the middle so you couldn't see much of the art). I would have liked to see something like this etched into leather for the new release but they've used the background image 3 times already so I knew that was not likely.



I also really like this hardcover. If I don't love the 20th Anniversary, I may send it back and get this instead. Except for all the new stuff that will be in the 20th.... Damnit, I'd probably end up with both.

Crap, I just found out that a graphic novel adaptation is coming out the same day... why is Pullman trying to make me poor?

>176 leahbird: I didn't know about the anniversary edition. It's pretty!

>176 leahbird: I have mine pre-ordered and I am very excited!

>175 leahbird: I love the cover of that anniversary edition. Love it so much I might have to but it. Though I wish it didn't say "anniversary edition" on the cover... Oh, well. Can't have everything.
Are all the covers as pretty?

>176 leahbird: Oh, a graphic novel too? I'm going to be broke soon...

>177 rosylibrarian: We should have an anniversary group read!

>178 PawsforThought: I've looked everywhere for info on the other volumes but it looks like it's not available yet.

Congrats on breaking the internet! I don't quite understand, though (pardon me for being a dingaling) - so your shop designed the fabric pattern? It's lovely, by the way.

We did not design the fabric, unfortunately. We scoured the vastness of the fabric internet for the perfect existing fabric that was unique and felt bohemian since our store is called Bohemian Baby. And I spent an ungodly amount of time looking at pictures of previously released prints from several brands. It took us a few months to nail this one down but we're very very happy with it.

>179 leahbird: I'm in!

I'm bored with this thread so I'm moving on to a new one. Come join me for a REVIEW!