Just Ann, Now

But first, this!



Our California son-in-law, Nick, has accepted a position here in Frederick! Which means he and daughter Ginger will be heading out this way *checks calendar* in 16 days! We are all over the moon over this, as you can imagine. Ginger fell in love with the town on her many visits, and Nick has been discovering new delights as well. It's going to be so much fun to have everyone closer.

What I Just Finished Reading

The Wreath (Kristin Lavransdatter #1), by Sigrid Unset. This was the first book in a Nobel Prize-winning trilogy, and I'm glad I read it, but don't think I'll continue. The historical detail was fascinating, but in terms of plot and character, just too slow moving for me. For A to Z Authors.

What Have We Here? Portraits of a Life, by Billy Dee Williams. I did not realize Billy Dee was a very well regarded Broadway actor before his movie career. This was a fast, enjoyable read. For Keyword: Life.

The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth's Ultimate Trophies. by Paige Williams. This was really fascinating, and could easily be considered for the True Crime genre, even if the main characters come across more as bozos than hardened criminals. For A to Z Titles.

Strawberry Yellow, by Naomi Hirahara, and Still Life, by Louise Penny. Both of these books were mentioned in a book I read last week, Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers, by Marta McDowell. (I really need to pay more attention to subtitles; I thought this would be a useful guide to poisonous garden plants like hellebores, foxgloves, etc. I did end up with lots more titles on my to-read list, though.)

What I Am Currently Reading/What I Am Reading Next

Not sure yet, I picked up some from the library yesterday and have a load on my Libby wish list but haven't made a decision yet.

Question of the Day: Helpful suggestions for people moving to a new town? We'll have plenty of recommendations but the more ideas the merrier!

A gorgeous morning, though quite chilly. Fabulously blue sky. We are fine here and hope you all are, too!

What I Just Finished Reading

A Wrinkle in Time. This was for the "Book to Movie then Watch the Movie" slot for the Summer Reading Program, and man oh man, do I have Thoughts:

• I was not the target audience for this book/film, though I remember my oldest daughter loving it, which predisposed me to like it too. Though I guess you had to be a preteen girl to really get it?
  
  
• The film was visually stunning, almost too much so, overblown. The soundtrack was bombastic, my latest pet peeve in films - louder does not equal better, and I shouldn’t need musical cues to tell me when I should be feeling something.
  
  
• The twin brothers were cut out of the story entirely (I didn’t miss them) and Calvin seemed to have very little to do. Storm Reid was PERFECT as Meg, and the little boy who played Charles Wallace knocked it completely out of the park - so creepy.
  
  
• What the movie missed completely, and what I as a reader imagined was a significant point of the story was Meg’s disappointment and fury at her father upon realizing that finding him didn’t fix anything - that he was just as helpless as she was. That’s a shocking lesson for children to learn - that their parents are not omnipotent - and the acceptance of that lesson is a vital part of growing up. The movie I think glossed over Meg’s realization that unconditional love would be the saving of Charles Wallace - her screaming “I love you!” had less impact than her working through the steps to that realization as brought out in the book.

Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery, by Scott Kelly. This was for the "Book about Space" slot, and was a fascinating and enjoyable read about current space program astronaut selection, life aboard the International Space Station (which we run outside and wave to, whenever it's visible in our area), and medical issues for current and returning astronauts. It's quite inspirational as well; Scott Kelly was a wild child in his youth, apparently quite unlike his twin and eventual fellow astronaut Mark, but through determination he was able to turn his life around and achieve just about any goal he set for himself.

(We also finally watched The Martian for the "Movie Set in Space" slot; wow, that was excellent! )

Rosewater, by Tade Thompson. This hot mess of a book couldn't decide if it wanted to be political thriller, alien invasion hard scifi, or distopia, and ended up not really being good at any. There was also too much time-line flipping - I never really could keep track of what was going on. Most annoying of all, the main character thinks with his prick, and since he feels compelled to share every thought in his head, yeah, that got old really fast. (wordsofastory has an excellent review of Rosewater here. My conclusion is the same as hers: interesting to read, but not so interesting that I'll continue the series.)

What I Am Currently Reading/What I Am Reading Next

I'm finally in the proper headspace for Upon A Burning Throne, so I'll be picking that up from the library today.

( Visiting Grandcats! )

It just this minute occurred to me that today is in fact Wednesday - it's like time has been stopped since Sunday. I hope all of you had a lovely and enjoyable Christmas/Week/Whatever!

Before the reading (there wasn't much) I would like to commend to you the film "Aquaman", which is the BEST MOVIE EVER. It perfectly satisfied both my inner 17-year-old boy and my outer 60++ year old fangirl.



There were EXPLOSIONS and UNDERWATER FIRE and SHARKS VS GIANT CRABS and SURPRISE DINOSAURS and I'm pretty sure I saw a NARWHAL and, holy crap, a BALROG! And Jason Momoa with and without his shirt! IT WAS A DELIGHT IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY. Sure you had to park your brains at the door, but hey, who doesn't deserve two hours of escapism right now? HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you haven't figured that out yet.

*gigglesnort*

What I Just Finished Reading

Swordheart, by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon). This was a gloriously fun read. It had UST, and pining, and swording, and a hilarious cast of characters. Perfect holiday-season escapism!

The last two Murderbots (reread): Rogue Protocol and Exit Strategy. Funny how, like owlet's Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail, Murderbot has become comfort reading! And, if you haven't checked already, there's a load of new Murderbot fics at Yuletide, too.

What I Am Currently Reading

Pausing my regular reading for Yuletide. Lots of good Watchmaker of Filigree Street fics, and a couple of Swordspoint ones, including one which I've had something similar in my WIP folder for years, and now don't have to write myself. Hooray!

What I Am Reading Next

I think I can fit in one more Claire North (84K), before the end of the year.

Question of the Day: what was the best thing that's happened to you in the past week? (Mine was "Aquaman", which I didn't even really want to go see. Silly me.)

Happy Valentine's Day, dear friends! I wish you all good things today (and every day, of course). ♥

What I Just Finished Reading

This was a MUCH BETTER reading week than last week!

Borderline, by Mishell Baker. This was Urban Fantasy in its truest form, not the vampires-and-werewolves love triangle kind, ugh, but humans caught in warfare between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. If you liked War for the Oaks, I guarantee you will like this!

The Essex Serpent, by Sarah Perry, which was a fabulous read and not really what I expected at all. (But then, I generally don't delve too deeply into book synopses, 'cause I'd rather be surprised by what happens. Most time, this works. *grin*) I might have been thinking it was going to be horror, but it ended up being more of a Gothic mystery, which suited me much better. The characters were absolutely fascinating.

Nickel and Dimed, my last Read Broader book thank goodness.. Sobering, and distressing that things haven't improved much at all since this book was written, and are probably about to become a good deal worse.

The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi. Agriculture-based distopia, just before I head to Sally's! Also a sexbot who inadvertantly triggers a revolution. The descriptive elements of this were just so rich - I felt as though I was walking through those food bazaars myself.

Star Wars: Aftermath, by Chuck Wendig. This was a quick, easy read to follow The Windup Girl, but other than a bit of namedropping, I don't see that it had a lot to do with the Star Wars universe. Fun characters, but at this point I'm not interested enough to continue the series. I may pick it up later this summer, though.

Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi. Very vivid and fast paced - if you liked Akata Witch/Akata Warrior, you will probably like this, too. (I ended up picturing all the book characters as Black Panther movie characters, which was even more fun.) My only complaint - and I'm going to have to start being really, really careful of the YA books I read, is the same one I had about Strange the Dreamer: STOPPING THE ACTION FOR KISSING. KISS LATER, YOU JERKS, OTHER THINGS ARE REQUIRING YOUR ATTENTION. But then, maybe I'm just old.

Also, a question: I picked this up as an Advanced Reader Copy at my bookstore's ARC Giveaway Day. It's not supposed to be sold. Could my library not sell it, if I donated it to their book sale? Or would one of you like it? It's a good read, but my bookcase space here is very limited. Let me know!

The Power, by Naomi Alderman. Stunning, horrifying, powerful, depressing. I'm at a complete loss as to how to even award stars for this. It was an amazing piece of writing, but the content was just so dark and intense - I have no idea.

What I Am Currently Reading

As a lighter counterpoint to The Power and Children of Blood and Bone, another Star Wars tie-in novel: Lost Stars, by Claudia Gray.

What I Am Reading Next

I'm headed off to the farm this weekend, bringing a fully loaded Kindle. I think I'll start with a reread of Diane Duane's The Door Into Fire, and continue with the other two books in the series after that.

Since I'll be at the farm, and busy tending grandkids old and new, I may not be able to keep up with Reading Wednesdays for the next month, though I'll try! But instead there may be farm pictures, Jody pictures, and best of all, new baby pictures, coming sometime!

Busy days! Though probably not as busy as many peoples', they still felt extra-busy to me.

( Cut because picture-heavy )

What I Just Finished Reading

In Other Lands, by Sarah Rees Brennan, which I mentioned last week, and cannot recommend highly enough. Yes, it was quite hilarious from my somewhat jaded old-lady viewpoint, but also very touching and bittersweet.

Jade Dragon Mountain is a historical-fiction mystery, set in southern China in 1780. A total solar eclipse is a major plot element, so also, topical! I liked the main character, and in fact all the characters were intriguing. I think I'll read the sequel, too.

What I Am Currently Reading

Lirael, commended by Owlet's Bucky *grin*, and very enjoyable.

Blackthorne, by Stina Leicht, which is, oh wow, just EXCELLENT, and hard to put down at bedtime - the reading time passes like nothing, which is, to be honest, not an experience I've really had with many books lately.

What I Am Reading Next

The Boy on the Bridge, though I've not read The Girl with All the Gifts. Should I read that first?

You guys, I totally forgot to tell you that Jody Bean and his mom zipped by for a quick visit during Mother's Day weekend!



Isn't he the cutest thing (especially with the Cute Overload head tilt). They stayed over Mother's Day night (I had spent the day in Washington DC with lucy2905, watching Captain America and drinking excellent beer, since Sally and Jody's visit was unplanned.) I missed supper, but was home in time for bathtime:



"This is when he looks like Gollum," said his mom.

Once they were gone, my time was devoted to the crochet project, now complete and bearing the Catty Catnose Seal of Approval



That was a great project for audiobooks: all three Riverside books, plus Howl's Moving Castle for the sewing-together phase.

What I Just Finished Reading

Great stuff, you guys, great stuff! Sleeping Giants, which I mentioned last week - what a nail-biter! Certainly as fascinating and engrossing as The Martian, but better written, and with a much wider and more intriguing cast of characters. I can't wait to read the sequel.

The Man Who Bridged the Mist, a novella by Kij Johnson, available as a free download from her website. This was absolutely gorgeous. Like The Goblin Emperor, it was strongly character-driven, with unique and detailed worldbuilding. It is not a plotty story: an engineer is sent from the capital to build a bridge, under difficult conditions, and succeeds in doing so. But it is also a story of loss, and growth, and change, that will tear your heart out as you read. I cannot recommend this highly enough! And it's free! You can't beat that.

What I Am Currently Reading

Sort of slogging my way through Golden Age, by James Maxwell. It's not a bad book, or I wouldn't have gotten up here to the 80% read point; it's pretty predictable, but the detail of the worldbuilding is excellent. I looked Maxwell up to see if he was an archeologist, or a historian of some type, but no - he just seems to do a lot of research, and integrates what he's discovered pretty seamlessly, rather than in info-dumps. (I don't think I'm interested enough to continue the series, though.)

What I Am Reading Next

Well, since I am leaving! tomorrow! for a week in London! I have my Kindle pretty well loaded with Captain America fic and some Star Wars fic (speaking of which: go read this: "Tomorrow (there'll be more of us)"; it's adorable.) So, London: I will try the LJ mobile app, but, to be honest, I've not heard great things about it, so you may just see some quick pop up posts, and pictures to be posted when I get back. London! It's our second visit, going to try to catch up with some of what we missed the first time. And visit again with old friends, too.

Question of the Day: What's your favorite city (real or imaginary)? What's your favorite thing to do there?

Hey guys, my daughter is clearing out some Things (it's a family tradition) and has lots and lots of music cds to give away! Here's what she says about them:

The rarest stuff is 90s/2000s techno/drum & bass, some afro-pop, and a little bit of DC go-go, but there’s other genres as well including some fairly popular 90s/2000s stuff.

Her Tumblr post with the full list is right here. Great music, free! (US only, sorry - shipping costs, aaargh.) Stop by and take a look! Tell her Mom sent you. And feel free to share this post!

I realize I'm probably one of the last humans on the planet to see this, but I'm going behind a cut anyway, because I'm going to talk about all kinds of things.
( The Force Awakens )

Two more days of Mini-NaBloPoMo! And not a moment too soon; I've almost run out of things to talk about, and I'm sure you're tired of the picspams. *grin*

Today I am giving away a book! It just arrived in the mail; I got it for participating in a Kickstarter. Normally I just get the Ebook versions, and so I'm not entirely sure of why I have it at all. And I'm excited to start reading it, as soon as I finish up with James Asher and his current difficulties. Anyway, the book I'm giving away is

Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology



Here’s the lineup, listed alphabetically by author:

“The Grammarian’s Five Daughters” by Eleanor Arnason
“The Men Who Live in Trees” by Kelly Barnhill
“The Evening the Morning and the Night” by Octavia Butler
“My Flannel Knickers” by Leonora Carrington
“The Fall River Axe Murders” by Angela Carter
“The Forbidden Words of Margaret A.” by L. Timmel Duchamp
“Boys” by Carol Emshwiller
“And Salome Danced” by Kelley Eskridge
“The Perfect Married Woman” by Angelica Gorodischer
“Tales From the Breast” by Hiromi Goto
“Stable Strategies for Middle Management” by Eileen Gunn
“The Glass Bottle Trick” by Nalo Hopkinson
“Their Mother’s Tears: The Fourth Letter” by Leena Krohn
“Northern Chess” by Tanith Lee
“Sur” by Ursula K. Le Guin
“Seven Losses of Na Re” by Rose Lemberg
“Love and Sex Among the Invertebrates” by Pat Murphy
“The Palm Tree Bandit” by Nnedi Okorafor
“Gestella” by Susan Palwick
“The Mothers of Shark Island” by Kit Reed
“The Sleep of Plants” by Anne Richter
“When It Changed” by Joanna Russ
“Fears” by Pamela Sargent
“The Woman Who Thought She Was a Planet” by Vandana Singh
“Detours on the Way to Nothing” by Rachel Swirsky
“Aunts” by Karin Tidbeck
“The Screwfly Solution” by James Tiptree, Jr.
“Thirteen Ways of Looking at Space/Time” by Catherynne M. Valente
“Home By The Sea” by Elisabeth Vonarburg

Sorry to say, I do not think I will be able to ship this internationally. *sad face*
If you are interested, let me know in the comments. If there are more than one of you interested, well, I'll figure out something. Random number generator? Birthday closest to mine? Something or other.

In other news...there is no other news today. The weather is still beautiful, though we need some rain The baby birds are just as cute as ever. Some of the new plants I just put in are getting ready to bloom! So you see, no new news at all.