They see me roll on my Segway, I know in my heart they think I’m white and nerdy.
As I said in an email to my mom yesterday, I may be poor as a church mouse, but I am rich in wonderful friends and family.
Tomorrow night is the Burning Hearts Burlesque Show: Naughty or Nice. Anyone interested in joining Shawn, Gretchen & Eric and me?
Today my dad and I bought tickets for Mom's Christmas present, to go see Riverdance when they are in Seattle in February. Mom will be delighted, and I'm so excited to see them!
Funny Stuff:
Monopoly: The Movie!. Of course, as The Fug Girls ask, the most pressing question is: which do you prefer? Pamela Anderson as "Community Chest," or Paris Hilton as "Free Parking?"
Girls I Hate; or Reasons Why I Prefer to be a Nerdy Loner. Link courtesy of scearley. I lived my first 6 months out of college with girls JUST LIKE THIS, and I wanted to bash my brains out.
In good news, I reached my 50 Book Challenge! (and then some)
#47
The Summer Queen
Joan D. Vinge
The sequel to The Snow Queen, it's not as good as the first, mostly because it's enormous with lots of subplots and makes for difficult slogging through it at times. It's still GOOD, don't get me wrong, but she's crammed so much detail into just under 1,000 pages that it's a little hard to figure out WHERE the plot is going. The last half is very exciting and does eventually tie everything together.
I think what I dislike about it is the fact that it strays from the original fairy tale of Hans Christian Anderon's "The Snow Queen." This sequel has a lot of technobabble and there's actually a novella that goes inbetween the two and explains a critical turning point. And then she goes over it AGAIN in this sequel. But the plots, the characters and everything else are very, very good. If you read the first, read the second.
#48
Middlesex
Jeffrey Eugenides
One of the best books I read this year. I can easily see how it won the Pulitzer Prize. The story is about a hermaphrodite, but I found it really to be more about coming-of-age, and less to do with sexuality than with the difficulties *everyone* has in finding their identity. The narration by Calliope/Cal was highly amusing, and the characters were well done.
I particularly enjoyed the references to epic Greek poetry, including an invocation to the Muses at the beginning, and the "wine-dark" car. Anyone who's read The Iliad/The Odyssey should recognize the references. This is a great, fascinating story, well told and very poignant. Highly, highly recommended.
#49
The Courtesans
Joanna Richardson
A fascinting set of essays on twelve of the most luxurious and expensive prostitutes in French history, the ladies of the demi-monde in 19th century Paris. These gals make Paris Hilton look like a poor tramp (well... but I digress). These women seduced and influenced some of the most powerful men in Europe, took what they wanted and charged exhorbitant amounts for a single night. They decorated their bathroom faucets with gemstones and had stairways of black onyx. Some died penniless and alone in obscurity, some live on through the poetry and novels written about them (including La traviata, an opera by Verdi based on a novel by Alexandre Dumas fils on the life of demi-mondaine Marie Duplessis).
My personal favorite was Cora Pearl, perhaps because she seemed the most humane and not just about the money. She was also outrageous, such as the time when she had herself served as a dessert, laying on a platter and wearing only cream, for her guests to "enjoy." I highly enjoyed reading about their lives, and in twelve short essays I breezed through them pretty quickly. The only gripe is how the book uses a lot of French phrases for people, food, events and I'm not versed enough in French to know what they all mean.
#50
Circles of Stone
Joan Dahr Lambert
Similar is scope to the Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel, this is prehistorical fiction, with archaeological facts used as plot points. The story covers 3 women, all named Zena, and covering our ancestors journey from Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens. It also explores the beginnings of Goddess worship and magic, cave painting and inventing fire. Like Auel's protagonist Ayla, the three Zena's are wise woman who receive sudden inspiration that changes the course of humanity.
It was a decent read, although not one of my favorites. It was like Clan of the Cave Bear-lite, with 3 sections covering millions of years and going from Africa to the Fertile Crescent to Europe. I think perhaps it was a bit too broad to be covered in a few hundred pages, but it was definitely an interesting book.
And that's the 50th Book! YAY! Go me.
#1 Deception Point - Dan Brown
#2 Toxic Bachelors - Danielle Stelle
#3 Kushiel's Dart - Jacqueline Carey
#4 The Simple Art of Murder - Raymond Chandler
#5 Hung: A Meditation on the Measure of Black Men in America - Scott Paulsen-Bryant
#6 The Constant Princess - Philippa Gregory
#7 Anne's House of Dreams - L.M. Montgomery
#8 Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
#9 Anne of Avonlea - L.M. Montgomery
#10 Anne of the Island - L.M. Montgomery
#11 Anne of Windy Poplars - L.M. Montgomery
#12 Anne of Ingleside - L.M. Montgomery
#13 The Inferno - Dante Alighieri
#14 The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
#15 The Purgatorio - Dante Alighieri
#16 Depths of Madness - Erik S. de Bie
#17 Rainbow Valley - L.M. Montgomery
#18 Emily of New Moon - L.M. Montgomery
#19 Emily Climbs - L.M. Montgomery
#20 Emily's Quest - L.M. Montgomery
#21 Pat of Silver Bush - L.M. Montgomery
#22 Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
#23 Kushiel's Chosen - Jacqueline Carey
#24 Fire Bringer - David Clement-Davies
#25 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
#26 Kushiel's Avatar - Jacqueline Carey
#27 Good in Bed - Jennifer Weiner
#28 The Neverending Story - Micheal Ende
#29 Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey
#30 The Invisible Ring - Anne Bishop
#31 Kushiel's Justice - Jacqueline Carey
#32 Daughter of the Blood - Anne Bishop
#33 Heir to the Shadows - Anne Bishop
#34 Queen of the Darkness - Anne Bishop
#35 Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
#36 Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
#37 White as Snow - Tanith Lee
#38 The Piano - Jane Campion & Kate Pullinger
#39 Rebellion - Nora Roberts
#40 Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress - Shelly Mazzanoble
#41 Dune - Frank Herbert
#42 The Firebrand - Marion Zimmer Bradley
#43 Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson
#44 The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan
#45 Wideacre - Philippa Gregory
#46 The Snow Queen - Joan D. Vinge
#47 The Summer Queen - Joan D. Vinge
#48 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
#49 The Courtesans - Joanna Richardson
#50 Circles of Stone - Joan Dahr Lambert
* I only read 4 non-fiction books. But I also only read 3 romance novels/chick lit. Among the other statistics are 4 classics (both modern and really old), 1 Pulitzer Prize winner, 1 Hugo Award winner (and it's nominated sequel), and 17 sci-fi & fantasy.
* Topics covered everything sex & sexuality, magic, historical fantasy, drugs, ethnicity in America, political conspiracies, prostitution & sex, history, turn-of-the-century idyllic family life, 13th century religious beliefs, and more sex & violence.
* 26 were re-reads, the rest were first-timers. Not bad, considering how much I love to re-read my books!
Books read since then:
Spring Moon - Bette Bao Lord
Three Fates - Nora Roberts
Currently: The Black Swan - Mercedes Lackey
Would you guys like me to continue reviewing the books above and beyond the challenge? I'm going to do this again next year, but I might put a twist on it, and do an Alphabetical Author challenge (read 26 books that cover the spectrum of the alphabet by author last name, so I'd read Jane Austen, Anne Bishop, Bernard Cornwall, etc., including X and Z).
Tomorrow night is the Burning Hearts Burlesque Show: Naughty or Nice. Anyone interested in joining Shawn, Gretchen & Eric and me?
Today my dad and I bought tickets for Mom's Christmas present, to go see Riverdance when they are in Seattle in February. Mom will be delighted, and I'm so excited to see them!
Funny Stuff:
Monopoly: The Movie!. Of course, as The Fug Girls ask, the most pressing question is: which do you prefer? Pamela Anderson as "Community Chest," or Paris Hilton as "Free Parking?"
Girls I Hate; or Reasons Why I Prefer to be a Nerdy Loner. Link courtesy of scearley. I lived my first 6 months out of college with girls JUST LIKE THIS, and I wanted to bash my brains out.
In good news, I reached my 50 Book Challenge! (and then some)
#47
The Summer Queen
Joan D. Vinge
The sequel to The Snow Queen, it's not as good as the first, mostly because it's enormous with lots of subplots and makes for difficult slogging through it at times. It's still GOOD, don't get me wrong, but she's crammed so much detail into just under 1,000 pages that it's a little hard to figure out WHERE the plot is going. The last half is very exciting and does eventually tie everything together.
I think what I dislike about it is the fact that it strays from the original fairy tale of Hans Christian Anderon's "The Snow Queen." This sequel has a lot of technobabble and there's actually a novella that goes inbetween the two and explains a critical turning point. And then she goes over it AGAIN in this sequel. But the plots, the characters and everything else are very, very good. If you read the first, read the second.
#48
Middlesex
Jeffrey Eugenides
One of the best books I read this year. I can easily see how it won the Pulitzer Prize. The story is about a hermaphrodite, but I found it really to be more about coming-of-age, and less to do with sexuality than with the difficulties *everyone* has in finding their identity. The narration by Calliope/Cal was highly amusing, and the characters were well done.
I particularly enjoyed the references to epic Greek poetry, including an invocation to the Muses at the beginning, and the "wine-dark" car. Anyone who's read The Iliad/The Odyssey should recognize the references. This is a great, fascinating story, well told and very poignant. Highly, highly recommended.
#49
The Courtesans
Joanna Richardson
A fascinting set of essays on twelve of the most luxurious and expensive prostitutes in French history, the ladies of the demi-monde in 19th century Paris. These gals make Paris Hilton look like a poor tramp (well... but I digress). These women seduced and influenced some of the most powerful men in Europe, took what they wanted and charged exhorbitant amounts for a single night. They decorated their bathroom faucets with gemstones and had stairways of black onyx. Some died penniless and alone in obscurity, some live on through the poetry and novels written about them (including La traviata, an opera by Verdi based on a novel by Alexandre Dumas fils on the life of demi-mondaine Marie Duplessis).
My personal favorite was Cora Pearl, perhaps because she seemed the most humane and not just about the money. She was also outrageous, such as the time when she had herself served as a dessert, laying on a platter and wearing only cream, for her guests to "enjoy." I highly enjoyed reading about their lives, and in twelve short essays I breezed through them pretty quickly. The only gripe is how the book uses a lot of French phrases for people, food, events and I'm not versed enough in French to know what they all mean.
#50
Circles of Stone
Joan Dahr Lambert
Similar is scope to the Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel, this is prehistorical fiction, with archaeological facts used as plot points. The story covers 3 women, all named Zena, and covering our ancestors journey from Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens. It also explores the beginnings of Goddess worship and magic, cave painting and inventing fire. Like Auel's protagonist Ayla, the three Zena's are wise woman who receive sudden inspiration that changes the course of humanity.
It was a decent read, although not one of my favorites. It was like Clan of the Cave Bear-lite, with 3 sections covering millions of years and going from Africa to the Fertile Crescent to Europe. I think perhaps it was a bit too broad to be covered in a few hundred pages, but it was definitely an interesting book.
And that's the 50th Book! YAY! Go me.
#1 Deception Point - Dan Brown
#2 Toxic Bachelors - Danielle Stelle
#3 Kushiel's Dart - Jacqueline Carey
#4 The Simple Art of Murder - Raymond Chandler
#5 Hung: A Meditation on the Measure of Black Men in America - Scott Paulsen-Bryant
#6 The Constant Princess - Philippa Gregory
#7 Anne's House of Dreams - L.M. Montgomery
#8 Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
#9 Anne of Avonlea - L.M. Montgomery
#10 Anne of the Island - L.M. Montgomery
#11 Anne of Windy Poplars - L.M. Montgomery
#12 Anne of Ingleside - L.M. Montgomery
#13 The Inferno - Dante Alighieri
#14 The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
#15 The Purgatorio - Dante Alighieri
#16 Depths of Madness - Erik S. de Bie
#17 Rainbow Valley - L.M. Montgomery
#18 Emily of New Moon - L.M. Montgomery
#19 Emily Climbs - L.M. Montgomery
#20 Emily's Quest - L.M. Montgomery
#21 Pat of Silver Bush - L.M. Montgomery
#22 Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
#23 Kushiel's Chosen - Jacqueline Carey
#24 Fire Bringer - David Clement-Davies
#25 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
#26 Kushiel's Avatar - Jacqueline Carey
#27 Good in Bed - Jennifer Weiner
#28 The Neverending Story - Micheal Ende
#29 Kushiel's Scion - Jacqueline Carey
#30 The Invisible Ring - Anne Bishop
#31 Kushiel's Justice - Jacqueline Carey
#32 Daughter of the Blood - Anne Bishop
#33 Heir to the Shadows - Anne Bishop
#34 Queen of the Darkness - Anne Bishop
#35 Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
#36 Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
#37 White as Snow - Tanith Lee
#38 The Piano - Jane Campion & Kate Pullinger
#39 Rebellion - Nora Roberts
#40 Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress - Shelly Mazzanoble
#41 Dune - Frank Herbert
#42 The Firebrand - Marion Zimmer Bradley
#43 Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson
#44 The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan
#45 Wideacre - Philippa Gregory
#46 The Snow Queen - Joan D. Vinge
#47 The Summer Queen - Joan D. Vinge
#48 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
#49 The Courtesans - Joanna Richardson
#50 Circles of Stone - Joan Dahr Lambert
* I only read 4 non-fiction books. But I also only read 3 romance novels/chick lit. Among the other statistics are 4 classics (both modern and really old), 1 Pulitzer Prize winner, 1 Hugo Award winner (and it's nominated sequel), and 17 sci-fi & fantasy.
* Topics covered everything sex & sexuality, magic, historical fantasy, drugs, ethnicity in America, political conspiracies, prostitution & sex, history, turn-of-the-century idyllic family life, 13th century religious beliefs, and more sex & violence.
* 26 were re-reads, the rest were first-timers. Not bad, considering how much I love to re-read my books!
Books read since then:
Spring Moon - Bette Bao Lord
Three Fates - Nora Roberts
Currently: The Black Swan - Mercedes Lackey
Would you guys like me to continue reviewing the books above and beyond the challenge? I'm going to do this again next year, but I might put a twist on it, and do an Alphabetical Author challenge (read 26 books that cover the spectrum of the alphabet by author last name, so I'd read Jane Austen, Anne Bishop, Bernard Cornwall, etc., including X and Z).