Reading
Books finished in November, 2011
Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire. This is book 4 in the Toby Daye series, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was warned by friends that I needed to read this before book 5 (which came out very recently) because "something" happens. That has got to be the understatement of the month -- I'm not sure which of the 7 items that come to mind now the speaker was referring to. A LOT happened in the course of this book. Some of them completely unexpected, and some of them I had hoped for but not been able to guess how Seanan would be able to pull them off. And at least one that I knew would happen but which I hadn't been sure how it would be set up. Started in November 2011. Finished 11/5/2011.
One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire. Started 11/5/2011. (Do you get the idea that I have an addiction to these books?) This is Toby Daye #5.
I had been considering reading the whole Toby Daye series to someone, but since this one had at least one slightly more (sexually) graphic scene, and since I both embarrass easily, and am often misinterpreted, I think I need to not do that. Finished this book 11/12/2011 at WindyCon. I loved her new characters, I loved how Toby handled some of the things that came along in her life. I really appreciated how many of the questions that were raised Seanan gave at least the first-level answer to.
Deadline by Mira Grant. This is the 2nd of the "Newsflesh" books that started with Feed. I'm not a fan of Zombie books, I didn't like the body count, but nonetheless, I loved _Feed_. I started reading this on 11/13/2011, and finished it on 11/24/2011. The last hundred or so pages were VERY fast-paced. I've heard that some don't like that it was ended on a cliffhanger. I didn't think it was so much of a cliffhanger, but rather more like the scent of cinnamon rolls backing. My mouth is watering and I want more. Don't want to wait, but I know the wait will be worth it.
Books read-at, but not finished yet
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. Yes I've read it before, as a child, before I insisted on OWNING my books. I'm reading it on-line. I like the style of the writing. I think I'm probably getting more out of it than I did 40 years ago. And I'm learning new words. Started reading this in May 2011.
Another book. The Time Machine is sort of required reading to be up on my critique of a very long and desperately awaited book a friend is writing. He read portions of several chapters at a con back in 1997 and since then I've been pushing him to FINISH AND PUBLISH. He takes the story of The Time Machine and tweaks it very little, and presents a completely different, joyous, surprising, world. One I find I like quite a bit more than Wells' world. Maybe because I'm more cynical now? More sophisticated? But moments of "I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE" trade off with chills of "Wow -- I never thought of it THAT way". While I enjoy perusing it with my eyes on the screen, I do so look forward to holding this finally-progressing book in my hands and recommending it to everyone. Started this also in May, concurrently with the original.
A Hard Pill to Swallow by Pat Smith. I know the author, so although murder mysteries (other than the semi SF/Romance Murder Mysteries that "J.D.Robb" writes) are not my usual bag, I picked it up. Started reading it at the end of May, 2011.
The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner. This was loaned to me by someone who met me at FCN. I started reading it near the start of June, 2011.
Unprotected Texts by Jennifer Wright Knust. I learned about this on Fred Pohl's blog, http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/. Seemed like a fun book, someone else extracting what the Bible actually does say about sex and perversions thereof. When some friends were in town we stopped off at Borders, and while they didn't have it on the shelves, they ordered it for me. A day or two later is when the closure was announced -- but the book arrived, and I brought it to WorldCon (August, 2011), and read some of it there. Ditto WindyCon.
Driven to Distraction (Recognizing and coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood). A friend who works as a therapist suggested that I might get some good information from this book, so I've added it to the stack, receiving and starting it on 9/9/2011.
Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire. This is book 4 in the Toby Daye series, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was warned by friends that I needed to read this before book 5 (which came out very recently) because "something" happens. That has got to be the understatement of the month -- I'm not sure which of the 7 items that come to mind now the speaker was referring to. A LOT happened in the course of this book. Some of them completely unexpected, and some of them I had hoped for but not been able to guess how Seanan would be able to pull them off. And at least one that I knew would happen but which I hadn't been sure how it would be set up. Started in November 2011. Finished 11/5/2011.
One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire. Started 11/5/2011. (Do you get the idea that I have an addiction to these books?) This is Toby Daye #5.
I had been considering reading the whole Toby Daye series to someone, but since this one had at least one slightly more (sexually) graphic scene, and since I both embarrass easily, and am often misinterpreted, I think I need to not do that. Finished this book 11/12/2011 at WindyCon. I loved her new characters, I loved how Toby handled some of the things that came along in her life. I really appreciated how many of the questions that were raised Seanan gave at least the first-level answer to.
Deadline by Mira Grant. This is the 2nd of the "Newsflesh" books that started with Feed. I'm not a fan of Zombie books, I didn't like the body count, but nonetheless, I loved _Feed_. I started reading this on 11/13/2011, and finished it on 11/24/2011. The last hundred or so pages were VERY fast-paced. I've heard that some don't like that it was ended on a cliffhanger. I didn't think it was so much of a cliffhanger, but rather more like the scent of cinnamon rolls backing. My mouth is watering and I want more. Don't want to wait, but I know the wait will be worth it.
Books read-at, but not finished yet
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. Yes I've read it before, as a child, before I insisted on OWNING my books. I'm reading it on-line. I like the style of the writing. I think I'm probably getting more out of it than I did 40 years ago. And I'm learning new words. Started reading this in May 2011.
Another book. The Time Machine is sort of required reading to be up on my critique of a very long and desperately awaited book a friend is writing. He read portions of several chapters at a con back in 1997 and since then I've been pushing him to FINISH AND PUBLISH. He takes the story of The Time Machine and tweaks it very little, and presents a completely different, joyous, surprising, world. One I find I like quite a bit more than Wells' world. Maybe because I'm more cynical now? More sophisticated? But moments of "I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE" trade off with chills of "Wow -- I never thought of it THAT way". While I enjoy perusing it with my eyes on the screen, I do so look forward to holding this finally-progressing book in my hands and recommending it to everyone. Started this also in May, concurrently with the original.
A Hard Pill to Swallow by Pat Smith. I know the author, so although murder mysteries (other than the semi SF/Romance Murder Mysteries that "J.D.Robb" writes) are not my usual bag, I picked it up. Started reading it at the end of May, 2011.
The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner. This was loaned to me by someone who met me at FCN. I started reading it near the start of June, 2011.
Unprotected Texts by Jennifer Wright Knust. I learned about this on Fred Pohl's blog, http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/. Seemed like a fun book, someone else extracting what the Bible actually does say about sex and perversions thereof. When some friends were in town we stopped off at Borders, and while they didn't have it on the shelves, they ordered it for me. A day or two later is when the closure was announced -- but the book arrived, and I brought it to WorldCon (August, 2011), and read some of it there. Ditto WindyCon.
Driven to Distraction (Recognizing and coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood). A friend who works as a therapist suggested that I might get some good information from this book, so I've added it to the stack, receiving and starting it on 9/9/2011.