I decided to do another book post. My other one for 2013 is here, where I confessed to reading all of four books during the first four months of this year. I also committed to doing better.
I have! Here's what I've read since May first.
(5) Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds, Queen Victoria's Book of Spells, an anthology of gaslamp fantasy. There are some wonderful short stories in here, beginning with the title story by Delia Sherman. Others I liked include "The Fairy Enterprise" by Jeffrey Ford, "The Governess" by Elizabeth Bear, "Phosphorus" by Veronica Schanoes, "A Few Twigs Left Behind" by Gregory Maguire, and "Their Monstrous Minds" by Tanith Lee. To be sure, there were no bad stories in the book. These were just some I especially enjoyed.
(6) Seanan McGuire, Midnight Blue-light Special. Book two in the InCryptid series (Discount Armageddon is book one). The continuing adventures of Verity Price and the Aeslin mice as they work to save New York's cryptid population from attack. HAIL THE MICE OF CAKE AND ALL CELEBRATIONS. (I love the mice.)
(7) Steven Brust and Skyler White, The Incrementalists. Enjoyed muchly. This is one of the ARCs I picked up at WisCon; it comes out for everyone else in September. Buy it when you can. It' a very interesting read.
(8) Mary Robinette Kowal, Shades of Milk and Honey. Set in a Regency England where skills manipulating glamour are required of ladies (Jane Austen with magic); first of three books. I love the magic system Ms Kowal developed here.
(9) Madeleine E Robins, Sold for Endless Rue. Historical fantasy, with the emphasis on historical. The action takes place in thirteenth century Italy. A multi-generational presentation of women's challenges in society.
(10) Kate Elliott, Cold Magic. Book one in The Spiritwalker Trilogy. It's been in the TBR pile for over a year. Damn, why did I wait so long? This is a wonderful book.
(11) Kate Elliott, Cold Fire. Book two in The Spiritwalker Trilogy. I finished book one on a Sunday evening, prowled bookstores on Monday until I found this and stayed up until 4 AM reading even though I had to go to work on Tuesday.
(12) Kate Elliott, Cold Steel. The last book in The Spiritwalker Trilogy. Wonderful series. I'm sad it's over. I really enjoyed the world Ms Elliott built and the characters who live there. My favorite character is Rory; those who know me will completely understand why.
I'm pleased with all the reading I've done - eight books in just over two months. The downside is I haven't been writing. It all comes out of the same block of time and I admit I've been reading furiously ... I just started another trilogy today ...
07 July 2013
29 June 2013
Itsy-bitsy Screws
I wear glasses. There have been times when one of the itsy-bitsy screws holding the frames together fell out. This hasn't happened to me recently, but I certainly remember the frustration. If you wear (or have worn) glasses you may have had this happen, too.
Read this post by Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess) for the Best Ever portrayal of this experience. And how it relates to a really bad, awful week.
You're welcome.
Read this post by Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess) for the Best Ever portrayal of this experience. And how it relates to a really bad, awful week.
You're welcome.
26 June 2013
Lots of Water
It rained this morning. Lots of thunder, much rain. There's a retention pond by my building. This is what it looked like about fifteen minutes ago.
I don't seem to have any pictures of it when it's empty. It's probably ten feet deep or more. The grassy "island" is the edge. It stopped raining maybe an hour ago.
This is the view to the left, where the pond overflows into the street. I'm cool with that because it means the water doesn't come up on my patio and into my condo. However, it flows down that street toward the main street, and the sewers there can't handle the volume.
The lighter green tree in the center is in a vacant lot across the street. One SUV went through about an hour ago. The water was just at the bottom of the car.
It's raining again.
Update from daughter who wandered out to check the situation: a school bus went by and the water was nearly to the floorboards.
Guess it's time to call work. Thought I was going to be there early today. I know better than to plan stuff like that!
I don't seem to have any pictures of it when it's empty. It's probably ten feet deep or more. The grassy "island" is the edge. It stopped raining maybe an hour ago.
This is the view to the left, where the pond overflows into the street. I'm cool with that because it means the water doesn't come up on my patio and into my condo. However, it flows down that street toward the main street, and the sewers there can't handle the volume.
The lighter green tree in the center is in a vacant lot across the street. One SUV went through about an hour ago. The water was just at the bottom of the car.
It's raining again.
Update from daughter who wandered out to check the situation: a school bus went by and the water was nearly to the floorboards.
Guess it's time to call work. Thought I was going to be there early today. I know better than to plan stuff like that!
23 June 2013
Critter Day!
In an unusual turn of events, I left home before 7 AM this morning. (On workdays I'm rarely out of bed before 8!) The flowers at the botanic gardens were blooming in profusion and perhaps I'll share those pictures another time. Critters became my focus today, starting with the first picture I took.
Guess the swans like to sleep in, too! I roamed toward the English walled garden, then along the shore in the direction of the Japanese garden.
Sorry that one's a bit blurry. Completely my fault. The toad wasn't moving fast! Just around the bend from the toad, a chipmunk scooted across the path, far too quickly for me to get a picture. These little guys are everywhere; I see some every time I'm at the gardens. Not far ahead was a bench. I sat and watched. My reward was a chipmunk approaching along a low stone wall.
Extra bonus was a second one (on the right) that I didn't know was there until I saw the photo.
Near where you enter and leave the gardens is a fountain. The angle of sunlight was just right for a rainbow. I took several pix from a distance. When I moved closer I realized the cluster of photographers at the water's edge were not there solely for the rainbow.
The shore visible to the right is the western side of an island. The swans were sleeping on the eastern side of that island when I arrived.
The swans continued on their way.
I headed off for iced coffee.
Guess the swans like to sleep in, too! I roamed toward the English walled garden, then along the shore in the direction of the Japanese garden.
Sorry that one's a bit blurry. Completely my fault. The toad wasn't moving fast! Just around the bend from the toad, a chipmunk scooted across the path, far too quickly for me to get a picture. These little guys are everywhere; I see some every time I'm at the gardens. Not far ahead was a bench. I sat and watched. My reward was a chipmunk approaching along a low stone wall.
Extra bonus was a second one (on the right) that I didn't know was there until I saw the photo.
Near where you enter and leave the gardens is a fountain. The angle of sunlight was just right for a rainbow. I took several pix from a distance. When I moved closer I realized the cluster of photographers at the water's edge were not there solely for the rainbow.
The shore visible to the right is the western side of an island. The swans were sleeping on the eastern side of that island when I arrived.
The swans continued on their way.
I headed off for iced coffee.
19 June 2013
Moar Flowers
I posted a picture of prairie smoke HERE when it was blooming and said I'd try for a picture after it had set seed = "smoking."
I took this a couple weeks ago. It's not the same patch as before - that one was finished seeding - but hopefully there are enough tufts remaining to give you the idea.
Here's another of my favorites that was in my garden: wild columbine. I couldn't locate the tag for the white flowers, so have no idea what they are.
Unlike most of the cultivars, wild columbine seeds freely and will show up in random places throughout the garden and yard. It's fun - for the first few years. After that, I made sure to deadhead the plants before the seeds ripened.
A great plant for semi-shade is spiderwort.
The flowers bloom in the morning and usually close up by early afternoon.
I'm sure you can tell I'm partial to native wildflowers, even when maundering through botanic gardens. They were always my favorites in the garden. Once established, they need minimal care and come back every year in larger clumps than before.
But I can also appreciate non-natives. Here's a beautiful cluster of calla lilies.
Never tried to grow them - they wouldn't have fit with the other plants I had - but these are some awesome blooms.
The Summer Solstice is Friday. Longest day of the year. Don't forget to celebrate!
I took this a couple weeks ago. It's not the same patch as before - that one was finished seeding - but hopefully there are enough tufts remaining to give you the idea.
Here's another of my favorites that was in my garden: wild columbine. I couldn't locate the tag for the white flowers, so have no idea what they are.
Unlike most of the cultivars, wild columbine seeds freely and will show up in random places throughout the garden and yard. It's fun - for the first few years. After that, I made sure to deadhead the plants before the seeds ripened.
A great plant for semi-shade is spiderwort.
The flowers bloom in the morning and usually close up by early afternoon.
I'm sure you can tell I'm partial to native wildflowers, even when maundering through botanic gardens. They were always my favorites in the garden. Once established, they need minimal care and come back every year in larger clumps than before.
But I can also appreciate non-natives. Here's a beautiful cluster of calla lilies.
Never tried to grow them - they wouldn't have fit with the other plants I had - but these are some awesome blooms.
The Summer Solstice is Friday. Longest day of the year. Don't forget to celebrate!
14 June 2013
WisCon Summary
I had a great time! I learned the Dealer's Room is probably the most dangerous place at a con.
Especially when you drive there and have your car conveniently located in the hotel parking garage.
These are my book acquisitions. Authors and publishers donate ARCs (Advanced Reviewer Copies) that are sold as part of the first day's fundraiser for the Tiptree Award. The Incrementalists by Steven Brust and Skyler White is an ARC; it won't be published until September. And I am reading it now ... bwahaha. There is also an ARC of Sold For Endless Rue by Madeleine Robins. By day three of the con I'd forgotten I scored that particular ARC, remembered I wanted her book and roamed over to the dealer's room and bought it.
One of the last events of the con is Sign Out, where authors sit at tables in a large room and fans approach with books to sign. Ms Robins kindly signed both the book and ARC for me. I bought three books by Mary Robinette Kowal, but had her sign only her latest one, Without a Summer. Jo Walton was a guest of honor at the con, so my copy of Among Others is signed. And all four books by Amy Thomson are signed.
The book on the bottom of the pile was given to me by a lady who had more books than her luggage would hold. I hadn't heard of the author so she insisted I take it.
My To Be Read pile is now ginormous.
Especially when you drive there and have your car conveniently located in the hotel parking garage.
These are my book acquisitions. Authors and publishers donate ARCs (Advanced Reviewer Copies) that are sold as part of the first day's fundraiser for the Tiptree Award. The Incrementalists by Steven Brust and Skyler White is an ARC; it won't be published until September. And I am reading it now ... bwahaha. There is also an ARC of Sold For Endless Rue by Madeleine Robins. By day three of the con I'd forgotten I scored that particular ARC, remembered I wanted her book and roamed over to the dealer's room and bought it.
One of the last events of the con is Sign Out, where authors sit at tables in a large room and fans approach with books to sign. Ms Robins kindly signed both the book and ARC for me. I bought three books by Mary Robinette Kowal, but had her sign only her latest one, Without a Summer. Jo Walton was a guest of honor at the con, so my copy of Among Others is signed. And all four books by Amy Thomson are signed.
The book on the bottom of the pile was given to me by a lady who had more books than her luggage would hold. I hadn't heard of the author so she insisted I take it.
My To Be Read pile is now ginormous.
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