I couldn't resist this one...

More books, who would have guessed? At this rate I will beat last year's total.

#81: Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand
A friend recommended this to me. This is the author who wrote Waking the Moon, which is one of my all-time favorite books. My friend said she liked this one even better. So I went into it with high expectations. Maybe too high. I liked the book, but it was no where near as captivating as Waking the Moon. It took about half the book for me to sort of figure out what was going on and piece together who fit with who. The story jumps through time several times with some characters being the ancestors of other characters. Similar names and places in both times confused me. Then it all clicked and I was able to follow along and enjoy the story. I liked it, but it's no where near my top 10 list.

#82: Carrie by Stephen King
Yes, another one. And no, it's not a reread. I've never seen the movie either. Still, this is one of those stories that everyone just knows whether you've read/seen it or not. It's about what I expected. Not my favorite of his, but a quick, easy and entertaining read. The one thing that bothers me about a lot of his books is he seems to take about half the book to set up the story and the first half is filled with a lot of unnecessary detail. The stories are good once all the pieces are in place, it just takes a while to get there.

#83: The Margarets by Sheri Tepper
I haven't read much by this author. In fact, the only other book of hers that I remember reading is Beauty (which I loved and still own). My friend (same as above) loaned me this one and I'm glad she did. She said it took a little while to understand the concept and get into the story. I understood this one a lot quicker than I did Mortal Love. It's a futuristic story where one woman is split into seven versions of herself. Each live on a different planet and have completely different experiences. There is a reason why she was split, which wove together quite satisfying in the end. All around a really clever book, in my opinion. This one might be one of my favorites for this year.

This just needs to be shared. Cross-posted from theweaselking .
Gotta love the muppets!

What can I say, books are comfort food.

50 book challenge update:

#77: The Hand of Isis by Jo Graham
I read her other book, Black Ships, earlier this year and loved it. This one is Cleopatra’s story told through the eyes of one of her handmaidens. I found this book to be equally as well-written and wonderful. This story is based on the idea that Cleopatra and her 2 handmaidens (who are her half-sisters) are the literal hands of Isis, as in the goddess is working through them to rebuild Egypt. It was an interesting idea and a highly romanticized version of the history.

#78: Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
#79: The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
I reread KoD so I would remember who’s who and what’s what in this incredibly epic saga. The Gathering Storm is the 12th book in the Wheel of Time and is the first book that has been released after Robert Jordan’s death. I don’t know how much of it he wrote before he died and how much of it is Brandon Sanderson’s words. The book definitely feels different than the 11th book, both in tone and in events. Things happen much quicker in TGS. That’s not a bad thing though, as the story seemed to drag on and on and on in books 8-10. KoD picked up quite a bit, but it still seems that TGS is flying at a much faster pace. And while the tone is a bit different (as was expected), it wasn’t so different that I was put off by it. I still very much love the world and the story being told and look forward to the 13th book.

#80: Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
My friend audrey_cooper decided I needed to read more Stephen King books and loaned me a few of her favorites. This is the first I read, mostly due to the subject matter. We all know I love books about vampires (except for Twilight). I found it fun & scary to read about the monster-variety vampire. These aren’t the sexy, suave, yeah they’re dead but they’re still hot kind of vampire. These were the monster type, the kind you hide under your covers, chewing on garlic, hoping they don’t come by your house type. As with the few books of his I have read, this one takes about half the book to set up the story. I think that’s one of the reasons I haven’t read more of his to date. He seems to take a long time to ramp up, but once he does, they’re usually worth the wait.

My beautiful Kodybear has moved on to a better place. He passed away early Sunday morning. It happened fairly quickly and both Bill and I were with him when it happened. The good part is he was at home and passed on his own terms, so we didn't had to make the decision for him. He had a great day leading up to it. We had a very rare wonderful weekend weather-wise. It was a sunny and warm fall day, one of his favorite kinds. He spent most of it in the backyard sunning himself and chewing a bone we'd bought him earlier.



Sorry that this is a repeat to some, but I think it's worth sharing. A friend of mine captured it wonderfully when he told me our lives are diminished by his absence, but filled with the memory of the joy he brought us. And he did bring great joy. He was a magnificent animal, pet and friend and will be greatly missed.

Maybe sometime soon I can share some of my favorite stories about him. Right now it's too raw and I am too heartbroken.

Somewhere in early September I decided it was time to get serious about my health and weight again. I'd tried earlier in the year and then gave up all attempts over the summer when I was on vacation every other weekend. So in September I got back on the healthy foods kick, cut back on my alcohol intake and got more serious at the gym. It was also around that time that I switched personal trainers. I like my new trainer. He kicks my ass twice a week, but in a good way. And I'm seeing results. As of this morning I've lost 10lbs! Go me! That's half of my weight loss goal. In addition to that, I've had to buy belts because without them my pants fall off. Literally.

I'm only halfway to my goal, but I'm feeling great about my progress.

50 book challenge 09 update:

#73: Beauty by Robin McKinley
This is one of my favorite books that I always forget about. Then one day I find it tucked in my bookshelf and think to myself how much I love it and how long it's been since I last read it. I have a thing for fairy tales. I always have. I used to collect them until I ran out of space. I don't care if they are old, new, disney versions, dark, twisted, etc... I read whatever I can get my hands on. My favorite has always been, and probably always will be, Beauty and the Beast. It's my favorite fairy tale, my favorite Disney cartoon, and for a long time my favorite tv show. It was the show that probably started me on the beauty & the beast craze. I was the perfect target age for the tv show's audience - a hopeless romantic and angst-filled teenager. I fell in love with Vincent and had several posters of him in my room. I even dressed up as him for Halloween one year. Now that I'm older, the tv show has lost a lot of its charm. Vincent seems whiny and full of self doubt. Catherine seems cold. Still, I will always keep it in my top 10 favorites just for nostalgia factor. Now that I have shared a brief history of my love for the fairy tale, I can tell you about the book. It's a retelling of the beauty and the beast story. It's a quick and easy read. I breezed through it in less than a day. It's predictable. We all know how the story goes and how it ends. Still, the book is magical and once I start reading it, I can't put it down.

#74: The Initiate by Louise Cooper
#75: The Outcast by Louise Cooper
#76: The Master by Louise Cooper
These are more easy reads and all-time favorites that I forget about. I first read these when they first went into print in the 80s. The books I own are from then and are quite worn. This is one of those series I pull out every once in a while and reread. It's a dark tale about a land where Order has overthrown Chaos and created a hellish situation that sounds a lot like the hold the Christian church had on the MIddle Ages. It's about a Lord of Chaos who forgoes his immortality to be reborn as human in attempts to bring the Chaos lords back into the world. All three books are about his struggle in realizing who and what he is and what to do with the power he is born with. It's the kind of series that once I start I can't put down until I've read all three.

I'm proud of myself, so I have to share. Remember about a month ago when I mentioned that I was writing again? At that time I was working on a short story based on a dream I'd had. At the time I posted about it the story was 23 pages long. By the time my October deadline came around to submit it to wheezinggirl I had hit 50+ pages (though only sent her 45, it was a good chapter break). Well, I'm happy to say that this week I hit the 100 page mark and the 30,000+ word count. I guess it doesn't qualify as a short story anymore, and that's just fine with me. And yes, I'm still going. It feels so good to write like this. I haven't done that in probably over five years.

There are several things keeping me going. One is just sheer stubbornness. Many days trying to write feels like I'm pulling teeth. Actually, today is one of those days, which is why I'm here right now. I just have to force myself back to the story with the promise that I only have to write a page. Most days that one page turns into 3-5. It's getting started that's the hardest part. Usually.

Another thing that helps is having the right music. I follow several authors on lj and many talk about the soundtrack that they have while writing certain novels. It makes sense. My mood is susceptible to whatever music I'm listening to. It means I have to be careful. The right music can put me in a good mood. The wrong can turn me into an irritable bitch. I have a good soundtrack for this story though. First, let me describe the mood of the story. It's dark, depressing, angry, and hopeless. It also involved an alien society that near-completely wiped out our world. The story is about the human survivors. My main character is quiet, introverted, tough and distant from her fellow humans. She gets her ass kicked, physically and mentally. Also so far most of the story takes place in tunnels with very low light. So it's physically dark, along with emotionally dark.

So to help me write, I needed music that evokes that atmosphere without pissing me off. There are 2 albums that have the perfect tone. They are:

1. The Flaming Lips: Embryonic. It's their new cd. From the reviews I've read, this cd is very similar to their early stuff. I haven't heard the early years though, so I can't say. What I can say is this band is one of the most surreal bands I listen to. Doesn't matter which cd you listen to, they are strange. Their concerts are unlike anything I've seen. Picture dancing santas, dancing aliens, a giant human-sized hamster ball, confetti and surreal music and you begin to get the picture. This cd sounds darker to me, more ethereal music, more haunting, more exotic than their others. Perfect for setting the mood of dealing with aliens and completely rethinking how to survive in your own world.

2. The Ravonettes: In and Out of Control. The name of the cd alone fits very well with the mood I need. Their cd has an edgy, dark sound to it. They remind me of Jesus & Mary Chain (who would also be a good choice for this soundtrack). It's moody, but not angry or depressing. We saw them live last weekend and the whole time I had the next chapter flowing through my head as I watched them.

They both work great. Maybe almost a little too well. For the last week when I get caught up in writing and listening I catch myself sinking deep into that world. I sometimes have to stop and look out the window and marvel at the fact that the sun is shining and aliens haven't attacked. As far as I know.

50 book challenge 09 update:

#69: Winter Moon by Mercedes Lackey, Tanith Lee & C.E. Murphy

This is a collection of novellas, one by each author, all relating to the power of a winter moon. The first story is by Mercedes Lackey and is the first thing of hers I’ve read in a very long time. She’s one of those authors whom I used to read avidly in high school, but lost interest in as I grew older. Subsequently, the story was my least favorite of the three. That’s not to disparage it though as it was a well-written story. When I got to the end, I wanted to read more. The second story was by Tanith Lee. I love her books, although I admit I have not read many. One of her books, Delirium’s Mistress, is in my top 10 favorites. This story had the same haunting elements that I love about her work. The third story was by C.E. Murphy, of whom I think I have read everything she has published to date. This story featured my favorite of all her characters, Joanne Walker from the Walker Papers who is a Native American/Irish shaman.

#70: Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

This book falls into the “vampires, witches and werewolves” category that my boyfriend teases me about. Surprisingly the main character is human. Not so surprisingly the other main characters are a half-demon, a werewolf, a necromancer and a ghost. This is one of her Women of the Otherworld series. I like this series because the author set up an elaborate urban-fantasy world and the way she did it allows for her to write from different characters point of view in almost every book. I have my favorite characters and a few I don’t care for at all. This book features some characters I have grown to really like. I hope to read more about them in future books.

#71: The Patriot Witch by C.C. Finley
#72: A Spell for a Revolution by C.C. Finley

These books are more of those that I kept seeing at the bookstore and finally decided to read. They’re set in and around Boston during the American Revolution. The concept is that there is a secret society of witches that are aligned with England and trying to destroy the colonies. There are some American witches who try to stop them, despite being far less powerful and outnumbered. The story weaves the urban fantasy with historical events and people (George Washington, Paul Revere, Thomas Pain, Betsy Ross and more make appearances). Both books featured key battles, which I found myself skimming over. I did so not because it was poorly written, but rather because it’s not what I typical enjoy reading. But they’re not just war novels. A very interesting story is woven into it. There is a third book in the series that eventually I will read.

I stumbled across this site today and I have not had to try so hard to *not* laugh in a long time (because of course I'm reading these at work).

I thought about pulling an image to post here, but just can't pick one.

Just check it out.

50 Book Challenge 09 update:

#65: Warrior by Marie Brennan
I review this along with it's sequel down below.

#66: An Evil Guest by Gene Wolfe
I don't often do this, but for this book I checked out the reviews on amazon before attempting to write this review. The reasons for that was I'm not quite sure what to say about it. I guess it all comes down to by the end of the book I had a hard time figuring out exactly what happened. It felt disjointed, as if there were key plot elements that got taken out last minute. It starts off as one story, twists into this almost completely irrelevant story, and then twists again into something entirely different. After reading some of the amazon reviews, I'm glad to see that I am not the only one left a bit confused by this one. Yet I finished it. By far not my favorite book this year.

#67: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
I didn't set out this month to read everything by this author, but somehow managed to. It's hard to review this without talking about the first and last books here, so I'm going to skip to the next one and then come back to this.

#68: Witch by Marie Brennan
Ok, Warrior and this book really go hand-in-hand. You do get a full story with just Warrior, but there is a very essential key element plot that doesn't really get resolved until Witch. It's an interesting premise - there is a fantasy world where women who are born as witches undergo this ritual that splits their bodies into 2 halves and up until now the doppelganger is killed. In Warrior we read about a woman who's doppelganger did not die, but instead grew to maturity, leading a completely different life than the witch. The witch and the warrior meet each other and have to figure out a different way to exist than the norm, which would involve the witch killing the warrior. Interesting premise. Not real believable, but entertaining. The issue gets resolved by the end of Warrior, but the result throws the world into chaos of people who want to follow their normal religious beliefs vs the people who want to change the fundamental structure of their beliefs and be stronger for it. Truthfully, I thought Warrior read as a better book. It seemed more cohesive than Witch. But you do need both to get the whole story and they are worth the read.

Now back to Midnight Never Come. If I hadn't seen that it was the same author, I would have thought they were separate writers. This book felt completely different than the Warrior/Witch ones. It has a completely different storyline and was such that I found much more interesting and believable. This book is set in Elizabethian England. The reason Elizabeth gets her throne is because she makes a pact with a faerie queen. Elizabeth becomes the queen of light & the above-ground London, and the faerie queen becomes the queen of shadows, ruling the faerie court underground. Of course this has dire consequences and it's up to a human and a faerie to figure it out. This story was very well thought out and fun to read. I hope she writes more in this world and along this style.

Of Halloween, of course. It hit me a little later this year, I don't know why. Normally my house would have been decorated by now. Sadly, it's not. If I have time and energy tonight I will do so. Otherwise it will wait until this weekend. But the main reason I finally got in the mood is I figured out my costume for this year. Yay! I can't say what it is because I always leave it as a surprise for my co-workers (yes, I dress up for work). I can say it is one of the less expensive costumes I've put together and it does involve face paint. And feathers.

Beyond that, you'll have to wait until Halloween...

50 Book Challenge 09 update:

#61: Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks
#62: Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks
I read the first book in this series a few weeks ago and raved about how much I liked it. So I had to go buy the rest of the series and read it. This is the series about an assassin-like figure. The second book I loved just as much as the first. The third book... well... It wasn't my favorite. It started off ok and ended great, but the middle felt sadly lacking the punch that the other two books had. Overall though, I enjoyed the series (like I said, it ended well) and I hope the author has more books in the works.

#63: Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman
This book was given to me by a friend and is the first in a series. It took me some time to get into it. The story is set from many different characters POV. I felt really drawn into the story of one of the characters. The others didn't interest me as much. By the end of the book two of the main characters meet, which is enough of an interest to make me seek out the rest of the series. Overall a decent beginning, but definitely left you hanging at the end.

#64: Redemption Alley by Lillith Saintcow
This is the third book in her Jill Kismet series (love reading a book with my name as the main character!). I have said this before about her books and will say it again here. This author kicks the crap out of her characters and I love it. She pulls no punches. Her main character in this series and her Dante Valentine series repeatedly get their ass kicked. Over and over and over. And yet they still pull through and save the day. I like how aggressive she writes, I don't see that much in other books (at least not at the same level as these books).

I guess I'm not feeling very chatty today.

I know so many people this applies to. This is cross-posted from theweaselking .

It's taken a week, but I think I've finally come off from the post Dragon*con depression. No, wait. That's not the right word. It's the word all the D*C people are throwing around but that implies melancholy, sadness and longing. That's not what I had. I had more of a strange time with the incredibly surreal 4 days of D*C meeting abruptly with reality. Surreal vs Real. Do you know what I mean? It took me about a week to put the Xena costume & attributes away and embrace the real world again. Though I confess, there are moments that linger and likely will for a while.... and that's not a bad thing...

But.. Since I'm back in the real world, I thought I'd sum up a few things that are going on. Mostly because I'm in a good mood today and don't feel like jumping into the next work project just quite yet. My good mood has been helped immensely with the music I'm listening to (hence the comment on facebook for those who saw that). A coworker loaned me the Owl City cd "Ocean Eyes." I'm in love with it. it's fun and whimsical and catchy and quirky and more. I liken it to The Postal Service (whom I also love).

Here's the one Owl City song I've heard on the radio. (youtube won't give me the code to embed it today, sorry)

Last week I learned that my personal trainer was switching professions. Boo! I had been working with her since January and I liked her a lot, so I was sad to see her go. Fortunately she gave me the name of another trainer at my gym whom I met with last night. So far so good. I think he will work out well. I meet with him tomorrow for the first real session. I've signed up for 10 sessions with him, which is 1-2 times a week for the next 2 months. Yay me! Overall fitness is on track. I seriously fell off the wagon this summer, mostly due to being gone every other weekend for six weeks straight. Now I'm back on the straight and narrow and am already seeing some results.

In other really good news, I've been writing again! YAY!!! wheezinggirl and I started this story trade a few months ago and it's wakened all kinds of creativity in me. In fact, wheezinggirl you're in for a lengthy one this next round. I'm already 23 pages into it and still have quite the story to tell. It's sort of a War of the Worlds meets The Last Starfighter story that's based on a dream I had about a year ago. I have 3 short stories under my belt so far thanks to this (not counting the one I just mentioned) and it feels good. I think it means I will feel confident to jump back into the novel, Dreams Remembers, soon. Remember that? It's been ages since I mentioned it, I know. I actually have been thinking about it lately and what it is I don't like about the point I'm stuck at.

Ok, I could keep rambling, but I won't. I'll go back to listening to my whimsical cd and ride the wave for the rest of the day...

Yay to Jason for finding the picture of wheezinggirl and I with Felicia Day! Check us out, it's on her flickr page:

Oh yeah, Dragon*con 09 totally rocked... Thanks to wheezinggirl, I'm already planning my costume for next year. It will involve me getting much more serious about my time at the gym & watching what I eat, but that's ok. D*C is a good motivation.

I briefly thought about not doing the recap because Wheezinggirl did a great one over on her lj, but since not everyone reads hers I figured what the hell.... Here goes...

( to sum up... )

That was Dragon*Con!

Ok, LJ is giving me a hard time about tagging other lj users in this post. I've tried several times and I give up....

50 book challenge update:

#58: The Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
This is one of those authors whom I know I should be reading, but haven't. I did read the first Dresden Files book a long time ago and have always meant to pick up the rest. Everyone I know who has read them has enjoyed them and I did like the short-lived tv show. Another friend of mine recently recommended this series to me, so on a whim of buying new authors, I picked up the book. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. I will likely pick up the rest, but I won't rush out to do so. I think I might enjoy the Dresden Files more, so I may go back to that series instead. He does do a good job in setting up an interesting fantasy world in this series.

#59: The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller
#60: The Awakened Mage by Karen Miller
This is another one of those books I picked up along with the previous book. I had been seeing these books in the bookstore every time I went in for quite some time. I always picked it up, read the back and put it down. I'm really glad I finally bought & read it. I liked it so much I had to run out and by the sequel. These books together tell the whole story of an unsuspecting and uncouth hero. I thought there was a lot of buildup towards the final event and when the final event came it seemed a little rushed. But beyond that, I enjoyed the story. She has another series out that I have also looked at frequently and I will be buying those.

In a completely random side note:
4 more days until Dragon*con!!!! I can't wait!!!

50 book challenge update:

54: Demon Mistress by Yasmine Galenorn
This is the sixth book in her Sisters of the Otherworld series and falls into my “vampires, witches and werewolves” category. This is the series about 3 sisters: a witch, a werecat and a vampire. Each book is from a different sister’s perspective. This one was from the vampire sister. Overall, she is not my favorite of the characters, but the book has enough of the charm & fun that the others have that I enjoyed reading it anyway.

55: Kushiel’s Mercy by Jacqueline Carey
I admit, I took my time getting around to reading this book. It’s the third book her second set of trilogies. The first trilogy I absolutely adore. This second trilogy, which is about the next generation, I haven’t been so thrilled with. This final book though was a notable exception. In this book I felt Carey recaptured what I loved so much about the first trilogy. The main character seems incredibly selfish in the first two books. In this one, we see him evolve quite a bit and I loved it.

56: Walking Dead by C.E. Murphy
This is the book that I won from the author herself that I posted about a few posts back! I got the book in the mail (it’s not available in stores yet) and promptly set down the book I was in the middle of to read it. It’s the 4th book in her Walker Papers series, which is by far my favorite of her books. Walking Dead was just as captivating as the previous books in the series. I couldn’t put it down and I can’t wait for the next one to come out! But given I had the rare chance to read the book before it hits the streets, I have to wait a while for the next one. This series is about a shaman who doesn't know her own powers or what she's really doing. She's a great heroine though.

57: The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
This is one of those books I picked up at the store several times and debated about buying. I’d not read anything by the author before, nor knew anyone who had. I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I did I devoured it. There were a few things that took me a while to get, as I felt the author didn’t really explain all the different societies within the structure of the city this takes place in. I felt kind of like I was jumping in head first with no clear direction on where the jump would take me. Eventually though I figured it all out and thoroughly loved the story. I will be buying the next 2 books in the series very soon!

Well, I think I jinxed myself on my last book post when I commented about how many books I'd read already. Here it is almost a month later and I only have 4 new books to post.

#50 Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
#51 Dreamdark: Silksinger by Laini Taylor
These books are absolutely delightful to read. They are geared towards early readers (maybe 12+), but don't let that stop you. They are about the adventures of fairies. And by that I mean the tiny, size of a bird, living in the woods kinds of fairies. The books are adorable and so well-written I couldn't put them down. They read as though there will be more in the series. I certainly hope so! If you're looking for fun, easy reads about the world from a totally unique perspective, these would be great!! A big thanks to audrey_cooper  for giving them to me!!

#52: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell by Susanna Clarke
This is the reason it's been so long since my last book post and why there are so few (in comparison). This is a very large book and the writing style is much denser & dryer than I normally read. All that aside, it's an absolutely wonderful story. It's about two magicians living in England around the time of Napoleon. It's about how they rise to power and what they do with that power. The end was not at all what I expected. The book starts out with a whole lot of background, which is a very dry read. Once you get beyond that, it's a much more engaging story. I read it at a slower pace than normal because it's so jam packed with detail and side notes. It's quite the challenge to get through, but well-worth the effort.

#53: Blood Noir by Laurel K Hamilton
Yeah, I'm behind on the Anita Blake books. The reason is I refuse to by her hardcovers anymore, so I wait a year for them to be released in paperback. That being said, I liked this book. This and the last Anita book, Harlequin, were the first books by her I have liked in a while. This book actually has a plot! And it's interesting! You still get some of the same arguments over and over with some of the characters. You also get some inconsistencies that LKH throws in just to keep the story moving. But overall, much better than the last few books of hers have been.