...Wow...

Sep 13, 2011 14:34

A month and a half without posting. And here I thought I was getting better. Well, I've got a window full of tabs to close and a jumbled list of books to add, so I'll try to sum up the craziness since I last posted as quickly as possible.

Editing progresses at a snail's pace, but there is quantifiable progress most days. We've been to Gram's cottage twice and had a wonderful time each trip, though she now has it listed for sale. Sad but necessary. The estate has kept me pretty busy and stressed. I went to court a couple weeks ago for a claim against the estate with no idea how many more times I might have to repeat the experience. All Dad's land is up for sale now. Can't remember if I've said that before or not. Work has slowed a bit now that summer is over. Managed to celebrate the last of summer by having an amazing day at the Blue Hill Fair with Gram and Jen. I think the Husband of Awesome regretted not going, so I won him a giant red squeaky monkey and brought home maple sugar cotton candy (still not entirely sure how that survived to get to him).

Also in News of Awesome, Kay is in town! She probably has to leave tomorrow, but she at least gets to spend tonight. I plan to show her our driveway. (No house yet--not until spring, most likely, but we have the driveway!) And have I mentioned? We've moved again, about a week after my last post. We won't be completely happy until we have a place all our own, but each move seems to get a little better. And I have a new little brother, 12-almost-13, all the way from Washington.

And now for the tabs:

Writers sometimes have weird pets.

Need to research armored cars? Start here.

Remember my friend's Kickstarter project I mentioned a while back? Her goal was met and more than funded, giving her a head start on her third album. Check her out (her genre is 'organic electronica'). If you like her music, please buy from the Bandcamp site (the link) because it gives her a higher cut from each sale.

Etiquette for a Lady--it's a Tumblr account so each post is short and sweet. Beautifully done and I highly recommend it.

As Seen on Neil Gaiman's blog: someone's leaving surprise gifts around Edinburgh in support of libraries and all such related things. They're beautiful. He suspects they perhaps are a product of this artist, but he doesn't know. Both links are amazing and inspiring.


67. Priestess of the White, Trudi Canavan
The first in a fantasy trilogy by an author I discovered earlier this year and absolutely love. The other two books are in my to-read stack.

68.The City of Ember: the first Book of Ember, Jeanne DuPrau
YA, about a city built underground and the residents have no idea that the world is any larger than their single city. Fantastic main characters and an awesome idea, well written.

69. The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson
Non-fiction, extremely well written, about America's (maybe) first serial killer, paralleling the Chicago World's Fair. Fascinating and I'd highly recommend it.

70. Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
Steam-punk, but one that practically satirizes the genre (Agents Books and Braun, anyone?). I found absolutely hilarious and can't wait for the next one.

71. Year Zero, Jeff Long
This author isn't afraid of anything. He's also a master of interweaving multiple story lines seamlessly. The Year Zero project is a human cloning experiment using 2000 year old remains (hence Year Zero). At the same time, a collector opens a holy relic and unleashes a plague. I don't usually read thrillers, but I do if they're written by this guy.

72. Dragon's Keep, Janet Lee Carey
YA; a princess who is also a descendent of Uther Pendragon is born with a prophecy from Merlin and a dragon claw for a finger--something she must hide or be accused of witchcraft and consorting with the devil.

73. Define "Normal", Julie Ann Peters
YA; two girls end up in peer counseling together and form an unlikely friendship. One is a punk and general misfit, the other is obedient, studies hard, and gets good grades, but has a secret. I enjoyed it.

74. Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before, Tony Horwitz
Non-fiction; the author is a journalist who decided to research the 18th century explorer Captain Cook and follow his footsteps across the globe, trying to catch an echo of the past. Incredibly well written and engaging. It could have so easily been dull and dry, but it was the exact opposite.

75. The Keeper of the Isis Light, Monica Hughes
Another YA novel; Olwen was born and raised on the planet Isis, continuing her parents' job maintaing a sort of interstellar lighthouse after their deaths, happy without human contact until a ship full of settlers arrive. I loved the ideas behind it, though some of the execution I didn't quite believe. Definitely worth the read, overall.

76. Grave Witch: An Alex Craft Novel, Kalayna Price
Paranormal romance; fun and a quick read. I like the possibilities of the world: 70 years before the story starts, the far come out of hiding, and with them all sorts of other things. Like witches. Alex is a grave witch, able to raise shades and speak to ghosts. Politics happen, but in the background, without detracting from the overarching plot. I hope she plays with her world and adds complexity in any future books.

77. Destiny Kills, Keri Arthur
Paranormal romance about dragons, spanning locales like Oregon, Maine, and Scotland. Fun and stand-alone.

links, life, reading list

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