Book Clean Up, Part Two

I am starting to put the giveaway books into gift bags, so I'd better get busy listing my favorites here!

The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMasters Bujold
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMasters Bujold

Cordelia's Honor was the first book I read by Bujold. I worked at a bookstore, and was straightening one of my favorite sections, science fiction. A gentleman came in and was looking at books, and I asked if I could help him find something. We started talking about various books we had read, and he recommended the Vorkosigan series to me. Cordelia's Honor might be considered a prequel to the Miles Vorkosigan books or the first in the Vorkosigan series. In any case, I was instantly taken with Bujold's science fiction romance. I have read that Georgette Heyer, the Regency romance author, influenced her writing, and I can believe that. In Cordelia's Honor, we meet Cordelia Naismith, an officer in the Betan Expeditionary Force, and Aral Vorkosigan, an infamous military officer from the planet Barrayar. How they meet, and the personal and political consequences, make a captivating start to the ongoing Vorkosigan story.

Bujold went on to write The Curse of Chalion and two sequels, including Paladin of Souls. These books are set in an alternate world, with active and interferring gods. Her characters are so well envisioned that the reader can't imagine them doing anything other than what they do. The storys are enthralling, and the mysticism of the world is maintained consistently throughout the series. If I didn't also have these books, as well as the Vorkosigan books, as e-books, they would not be leaving my self.

My Perennial Favorites

I am cleaning off my bookshelf. I am doing it by picking out some of my favorite books, and giving them to my friends and family for Christmas. To be sure I remember what I gave away, I am going to list them here, along with a short review. This is the first installment.

Queen's Own, by Mercedes Lackey

This is a compilation of Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight and Arrow's Fall. I think this is now considered YA fiction, although when I first read it twenty years ago, it was shelved in Adult fiction. I loved this story of Talia, who becomes a Herald of Valdemar, and works selflessly for her kingdom and Queen. It is all magical horses and mind powers. I guess it really is perfect for middle school girls, and a welcome change from the current vogue of vampire fiction.

The Harper Hall of Pern by Ann McCaffrey

This compilation of Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums was my first exposure to McCaffrey's world of Pern. I probably read these first in high school. The series has certainly continued much beyond it's interesting lifespan, but these books, as well as the initial trilogy of Dragon Riders of Pern, are certainly good reading. Again, I think that this is a world really suitable for younger girls; much better than the Twilight books. These books, as well as the Mercedes Lackey books, feature strong female protagonists who are striving for something beyond boyfriends and clothes.

Podkayne of Mars and Starman Jones, both by Robert Heinlein

These are just two examples of the excellence that is Robert Heinlein, especially his juvenile novels. These books were originally published in the 50's and 60's, and are dated, but still provide a good story, provided one reads them within an historical SF context. These are the books that made me the SF fan I am today.

The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

My high school sophmore English teacher recommended this book to me. It was probably the first non-YA science fiction I ever read, and the first real hard SF. The story of first contact, and the moral and ethical implications of that event make very good reading. As I was typing this, I picked up the book and started reading again, and almost got sucked in. Maybe I should put this one back on my shelf...

Ending a Series

The Spellman books (The Spellman Files/Curse of the Spellmans/Revenge of the Spellmans) by Lisa Lutz are very funny "mystery" books, along the lines of the Stephanie Plum books. I read the three of these over the last year or so. Now I see there is a new one coming out and that it is the last of the Spellman books. That makes me sad.

And Charlaine Harris has said that she has finished the Harper Connelly series (Grave Surprise, Grave Matters, and two others...). I loved this series, too. I thought Harper was a great character.

I hate it when authors end series that I love. But, I would hate it more if they felt they needed to continue writing books in a series just to make money. The books would, inevititably, lose quality. I can think of several series that I enjoyed that I won't read anymore because there is just no point. The stories are not of the same quality when the author is just writing to fulfill a contract.

So, Lisa Lutz and Charlaine Harris, thanks for ending these series while I still like them, even if it makes me sad.

Comfort Me With Apples by Ruth Reichl

This is the second of three memoirs by Ruth Reichl (so far). Ms. Reichl has been in the news of late, as she was the editor of Gourmet magazine, which recently ceased publication. She has hinted that maybe now she will write another memoir, covering her time at Gourmet.

Having previous read "Garlic and Sapphires," an accounting of her time as the restaurant critic for the New York Times, I knew that I would be reading a book full of food. From communal kitchens in Berkeley, to the gourmet restaurants of Los Angeles, from back room kitchens in China and Thailand to the markets of Spain, the food described tempts even me to try something like calves brain.

This particular book begins in Berkeley, and spans Ruth's first marriage, her first food writing jobs, and the loves and losses she experienced during this time. This is a wonderful story of how a woman finds herself and her place in the world.

Graphic Novel Month, and Contest

In November, Mark and I are going to do a graphic novel month. We'll both read the same graphic novel (one neither of us has read before), and talk about it during our regular podcast. I wanted to do eight books, two a week, but Mark says that is too much!

If you want to read along with us, we'll announce our books the week before we talk about them. Next week will be the first volume of 100 Bullets (chosen by Mindy!).

We're also having a contest for the podcast. As our long-time listeners know, we sometimes go to comic book conventions. We picked up a few sample issues of comics at this past summer's Wizard World Chicago comic-con. I've put together two packages, each containing the 70th anniversary Wizard magazine, a copy of Masquerade #1 (Dynamite), the Death-defying Devil #1 (Dynamite), and two other freebie comics (different in both packages).

So, what am I going to do with these? Right now, we have four reviews on iTunes. I think we should have more. So, if you leave us an iTunes review by November 15, you'll be eligible to win one of these packages. Anyone who has already left a review on our current feed will also be eligible. We'll announce the name of the winner in our November 15 podcast, so any reviews posted before we record on the 15th will be eligible.

It doesn't matter what kind of a review we get. I hope they aren't zero stars, but those reviews will still be included. I assume if you wanted to rate our podcast a zero, you wouldn't be listening...

I do read...

I really do read more than one book a month. I am not sure why I forget to post about them. So, here is a partial list of other books I have read this month...

A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse Collection)
Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9)
Fables: Vol. 1, Legends in Exile
Some Buried Cesear (Rex Stout)
Dot.Dead (A Silicon Valley Thriller)

I might get around to posting my opinions on these. But I might now. So, anyway, I am reading! Really!

FlashForward by Robert J. Sawyer

I picked up this book for two reasons. First, the TV show FlashForward used this book for inspiration. Second, the book is by Robert J. Sawyer, who wrote several other books that I enjoyed (including Hominids and Humans -- I haven't read the third one in this trilogy though).

If you have watched the TV series, don't worry. The book is only the inspiration; there is really nothing in common between the book and the TV show, other than the flash forward itself. In the book, people see 21 years into the future; in the TV show, it is six months. The book is set in and around the large hadron collider at CERN; the TV show is set in the US. As you can guess from the setting, the book resolves the cause of the flash forward very early on; the LHC experiment combined with some cosmic activity lead to the flash forward. The book focuses on the scientists involved in the LHC experiment, on the physics of the incident, and on the philosophies of free will and predetermination.

One thing I like about Sawyer's book (this one included), is that he bases the plot around proven science, but takes it further. His books always make me want to read more about the science he uses. In this case, I spent a few hours reading about the large hadron collider and the search for the Higgs bosun particle.

Although this book is heavy on the science, I would recommend it highly for those who like science ficition set in (at the time it was written) near future versions of our own world.

Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

I think I am just about done with vampires and werewolves.

Not that Patricia Briggs doesn't do an excellent job on this genre. This second book in the Alpha and Omega series is good. It is just that this story felt so familiar.

If you haven't read Cry Wolf, or if you didn't really love it, I wouldn't recommend this. If you did, however, like any of the Mercy Thompson books, then definitely read this one.

Wolf Time by Lars Walker

I am not sure if I liked this book or not.

This is an alternate future book, set at an indeterminate future time in Minnesota. It combines traditional religion and ultra-left-wing politics to make a sort of future dystopia where traditional religions are under attack under freedom of religion laws. Enter into this the release/return of a Norse god, and the apocalypse looms.

The author does a really good job of setting up some of the background of the world. But, as with many books from SF publisher Baen, the political slant almost slaps the reader in the face. Once one just accepts that, the story itself is good. The characters are well developed, and their actions flow from their expressed beliefs.

If you are interested, this book is available for electronic readers, for free, in the Baen Free Library, along with many other books.

When Plague Strikes by James cCross Giblin

It's back to school time for me! As a substitute teacher, I am never quite sure what is in store for me when I go to work in the morning. And sometimes I can get a lot of reading done! Today was not an exception. The first period I was there was a "planning period," which is essential for the classroom teacher, but pretty much free time for a substitute.

I had reading material, and other things to work on, but this book caught my eye:

When Plague Strikes: The Black Death, Smallpox, AIDS

This is a Scholastic book, so one can assume it is aimed at young reader. Sometimes I prefer non-fiction for young adults, as it is written, well, simpler. The books are also generally more interesting than those for adults, because it is harder to keep younger readers attention if the subject starts to bore them.

Anyway, I am fascinated by epidemics, so this book caught my eye. I really enjoyed the sections on the plague and small pox. I learned a few things (the derivation of the name smallpox, among other things), and thought some of the points the author brought up could inspire some spirited discussions. On the other hand, I did skip a lot of the AIDS section, having already read "And the Band Played On," which some say is the definitive history of AIDS. The author notes that he relied heavily on that book for his history of AIDS.

Overall, I would recommend this book to any reader middle-school or above who has an interest in plagues or epidemics and how they affected the world.

The Hanged Man by David Skibbins

I haven't read any "real" books for a while. I have been too busy trying to read all the comic books that have been piling up on my nightstand. I finally made it through those books, and so I am starting to read some novels again.

So, while I was at the library this week, I saw the new David Skibbins book in the new book area. I really enjoyed his first three books in his "Tarot Card Mystery" series. I would almost call this a "cozy." Granted, the main "sleuth" is not a woman, but Warren has certainly been an amateur, not a professional, investigator. Warren doesn't live in a small town, but the way Skibbins writes about Berkely, and the areas Warren frequents, make it sound like a small town. Warren is a likeable fellow, in spite of his bipolar disorder, and he is surrounded by friends.

Skibbins has taken those components of a cozy mystery to make the reader comfortable, then skewed them slightly to take the books outside of the expected comfort of a cozy, and made a really enjoyable series of books that can be read by those who enjoy cozy mysteries, and those who want a little sharper edge.

In this volume, Warren enters the world of bondage and domination to help prove that a friend of a friend is innocent of murder. The usual cast of his friends (Sally, Heather, Max...) are all on hand, and have a hand in, to solve the case. I found this a very satisfying read.

What a Marathon!

It is Satuday, and I am completely finished reading ALL of the comics in my TBR pile. That is not, however, all of the comics. What didn't I read?

I found, at the bottom of the pile, The Amazing Spiderman #583. We don't normally read Spiderman anyway; I think this is one Mark just picked up on impulse. Mark very seldom gives in to the crossover of politics and comics, but I guess the Obama cover was an exception.

I didn't read Ex Machina. Mark has been reading this one since the first issue, but that was back before I paid attention to who was writing what, and the cover didn't catch my attention. But now I realize that Brian K. Vaughan was the writer. I loved Y: The Last Man, so I think maybe I should have Mark pull these out the old issue of Ex Machina for me to read. Or, I'll just look around for the first graphic novel. Then I don't have to tell Mark he was right, and I should have read them to begin with!

The Simpsons I generally skip, unless Mark says it is really good. (I looked for a link to Bongo Comics online, and couldn't find an official one. Hmmmmmmmmm.)

I did read the Wednesday Comics. But I am skipping the Wonder Woman strip in there. I find it was giving me a headache trying to follow the tiny little boxes! But I like the rest of the strips!

I didn't skip Final Crisis: Escape #4, or Final Crisis: Dance #4, but I wish I had. I won't be finishing out these series. Maybe these would be better read all at once, but I cannot follow the story in either of these. Which is a shame, because I am really enjoying Final Crisis: Run! and Final Crisis: Ink.

In the final stretch...

What did I read?

FC: Escape #2, #3 -- This is very confusing. I have no idea what is going on.

FC: Dance #2, #3 -- Ditto. Except I really don't even remember these people from Final Crisis.

FC: Ink #1, #2, #3 -- I like this one better. Maybe because there wasn't a long gap for me between the first issue and the others? No, because the story appears to be more contiguous.

Strange Adventures #5, #6 -- I like The Weird.

Billy Batson and Magic of Shazam #5 -- Very nice. I eally like Mary Marvel in this comic.

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #3 -- Am I wrong, or is almost half this comic just the equivalent of a DVD commentary of a previous comic?

Astro City : The Dark Age #2, #3, #4 -- It seems like this whole Dark Age story line is longer than any previous Astro City story. I know Mark likes it, but I am getting kind of tired of it.

Beowulf #1-4 (all of the miniseries) -- I got this because it was Neil Gaiman. Yes, I know the story is based on the epic poem, but you know what I mean. But, eh. The art was nice, but the story itself seemed to be unsuited to the comic format. Maybe I’ll rent the movie.

So that was only 18 comics for yesterday, and most of those I actually read this morning. But That is pretty much the bottom of my backlog. I have five issues of Fringe, two issues of Wednesday Comics, plus 18 new ones for this week. I think I will just commit to reading five a day for the next 5 days. I should be caught up by Wednesday next.

Sunday we’ll probably be talking about the newest issues of Blackest Night, the new Adventure Comics, and, of course, WOTCOEW.

I did read my 20 comics yesterday. I finished up with:

Superman #35 -- in which, of course, Superman figures very little. We did see Steel and Chris Kent (Nightwing? NEVER!), with a page or two of Zatara and a Dr. Light/Guardian play date.

Superman: World of New Krypton #6 -- The start of Codename: Patriot.

And finally, the finally, Final Crisis Aftermath: Run #4 -- The Human Flame gets more powerful. He's finally a real villian...

You know I am getting down to the bottom of my pile if I read the Final Crisis book. I now have 2 issues of Dance, 2 issue of Ink, and 3 issues of Escape to read today. I think I really was trying to wait until these were done, but that would be another three months, and I really would like to get them out of my TBR pile. I have books to read, darn it! Real books! Plus school is starting soon.

So, in addition to those, I have three issues of Astro City: Dark City, the four issues of Beowulf, five issues of Fringe and a couple miscellaneous DC comics to read. Plus whatever Mark brings home from the comics store today. Argh. Argh. Argh.

Two Books with Animal Narrators

I was going through some books my mom passed back to me, and came upon The Autobiography of Foudini M. Cat. I recommended this book to her since she liked (and, in fact, recommended to me) The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Both of these books are written with the pet in question as the narrator. In Foudini, the pet is a cat, who is giving advice to a new, younger, cat in the family. In Racing, the narrator is a dog, giving advice to, and telling the story of, his human, a race car driver. Both books are touching, emotional, and any pet owner can relate. We can only wish and attribute to our pets the eruditeness of these animals. Both of these books would be really good for book discussions, too.

Although I loved both of these books, I wonder about the anthropomorphism of the pets. Reading books like this which attribute thoughts and emotions to animals has led to an inability, in me, to kill spiders. This seems to be in direct opposition to my omnivorism. I am sure, though, if I had to kill my own (animal) food, I couldn't do it. And I blame books like these.

Sixteen today, so far...

And I'm sure I'll get the other four read, as long as I don't have to do dishes. Dishes or comics? Hmmmm.

Supergirl #34 -- I like Supergirl. In this issue, she is on New Krypton. I wonder how long New Krypton will be around.

Justice League: Cry for Justice #2 -- The group is getting together.

Justice League America #35 -- Loved the reference to Detroit!

Justice Society of America #29 -- Is this the end of Mr. Terrific?

Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson: Homecoming #2 -- I think I must have missed the end of this series. I was trying to keep this until I had all 4, but I never got them. MARK!!!!

Eureka #2 -- I am liking this story, but the art seems to be a little scattered. Not always able to identify people. All the girls look alike.

Angel: Not Fade Away #3, Angel #24, Buffy #27 -- Not much to say about these.

Fallen Angel Reborn #2 -- LOVE IT. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT! Illyria is visiting Bete Noire.

Twenty Yesterday; Twenty Today?

I actually, I think, finished 21 comics yesterday.

Tuesday:
Solomon Grundy #6 (of 7) -- I have no idea what is going on in this miniseries. Lots of swampy explosions and flashbacks. Frankenstein? The Bride?

The Brave and the Bold #25 -- I like team ups with the Blue Beetle. I think Jaimie is one of the more interesting new heroes. His Blue Beetle (in the Teen Titans, too) always makes a story more interesting.

Power Girl #3 -- With Terra.

Doom Patrol #1 -- Killing off characters in the first issue. Oh, Nudge, you will be missed by me, if no one else.

The Last Days of Animal Man #3 (of 6) -- Oh, this is in the FUTURE! League of Titans? But Nightwing is still there! Whine about continuity.

Today is non-DC comics day for me.

Star Trek: Missions End #5 and #6 -- The story about giant bugs is over.

Star Trek Alien Spotlight: Q
Star Trek Alien Spotlight: Romulans -- Eh, if you're not human...

Star Trek: Spock Reflections -- How many Star Trek comics are there?

Star Trek: Crew -- Again, probably one of the best ST comics, taking a look at the life of "Number One" from the original Captain Pike pilot of the ST series. We still don't know her name, but she apparently did make one for herself.

So that is six for today so far. Next, on to Buffy, Angel and Fallen Angel.

My Fitness Coach for Wii

I ordered this on a Gold Box or some other special a few months ago, but admit I didn't even crack open the package until last week. I finally decided it was time.

I already have WiiFit, which I do like. I also have Outdoor Challenge, which is very fun and very exercise-y. So, why did I decide to try this one, too? Because the package said it personalized an exercise routine for you.

So, after putting the game in, you run through a whole series of information in setting up your program. Along with age, weight and height, you need to measure your bicep, chest, waist, hips and thigh. You input your resting heartrate, and then your exercising heart rate. You also count squats, pushups and scrunches to help the program determine your current fitness level. It took me about 20 minutes to get all the information entered. Then, on to the exercises.

It is a lot like exercising to a video, except there are certain places you have to input information, and you always have the option of stopping for information on how to do an exercise. And it does base the exercises on your current fitness level (it adjusted some things for me after I told it I could not do something -- I'm currently not very flexible), and you do different exercises depending upon the focus you (or the program) pick for the day.

If I can keep this up, I think this will be better for me than the WiiFit, since I don't have to figure out what I need to do. The program will tell me. I hope I can keep it up. I will update in about six weeks!

Did I read 20 comics today?

Update # 2:

Not quite up to 20 for the day. I am at 15. I will finish the last five before I go to sleep!

Wonder Woman #34 -- Lots of humor between Black Canary and Wonder Woman. I like issues like this! I did wonder, though, how WW and BC changed into their disguises after jumping from the invisible plane. I didn’t see any backpack full of costumes...

Secret Six #12 -- Banshee is back! And I have to ask Mark who's in the last panel...

House of Mystery #16 -- Glad to see Cain continue his appearances. And what about the Hounds of Titus Roan? Note: Ask Mark if the hounds have appeared before. Will we see the king of the hounds appearing later, maybe? Also, that was a very weird preview!

Madame Xanadu #13 -- I love to see Dian and Wesley. I hope we see more of them.

Jack of Fables #36 -- Jack being Jack.

The Hangman #1 -- The first Red Circle (at least for me). Very nice origin story. I am looking forward to this continuing.

Bill Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #6 -- More for DC Kids. Mark really likes these.

Teen Titans #73 -- I'm still waiting for Superboy to show up. And I really like the Ravager second feature.

Doctor Who: Room with a Deja View -- I liked the story, but not the artwork so much. Some of the Doctor depictions just seemed weird.

Five more to go today.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I thought this might be another one of those over-hyped books that I could never get through (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, anyone?), but it wasn't. This was a lovely story, told through correspondence, of the island of Guernsey (one of the Channel Islands between France and England), and how the German occupation during WWII affected the residents.

The book is a fairly easy read. Through the letter format, the reader gets to see through the main character's eyes, as well as though of residents of the island, and of London. This would be a great book for high school students studying WWII.