Another new fun thing: check the link in the top navigation bar for a list to my "books I've read" list, plus a brief listing of books I want to read soon. (My whole TBR list is too big to post, but this is a place where I'll likely list up-and-coming book reviews.) Feel free to suggest books you think I'd like to read, too.
Whee! I like this look. I had been using the "harbor" template, which is very pretty, but there wasn't enough green in it for my tastes. I love green. This theme has lots of green. Yay!
Plus, it has the Hobbit. And that's always a fun thing.
The one thing I don't like is the fixed width. But, that way I can show off the fun patterned background.
Life is good, there’s a light dusting of snow on the hills, and I’ve spent the weekend happily eating Chinese New Year treats. (Okay, so we were a bit late. It took me that much time to get up the nerve to try to cook the dessert that had “add water until it looks like a rat’s tail” as the crucial part of the instructions.) And here’s what’s happening in the blogworld…
S. William has posted a Harry Potter spoiler. Charlie is really Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Paperback Writer is home again, and being bold. Phoenix is apparently busy, and needs prodding. The lady of the Invisible Crystalline Cave is looking at the beauty around her, and having issues with Blogger.
The guinea pigs have a new food dish. Mim has a new look, but is in pain. Nerd Knits is knitting sleeves. Kait is going to Hawaii (take me with you!). Holly Lisle has been doing a type-in edit since before dawn, but is happy. Hanna is reviewing movies and watching Heroes.
And what about me? I’m trying to figure out what to work on of my own, and editing AD for Phoenix, when I can find the time. I’ve still been spending a lot of time with M that I would otherwise have spent writing. But it makes me happy, so I’m not complaining. I just need to work on the balance a little more. I think one of the biggest problems as far as that goes is the half-hour-each-way drive needed to go see him. (Or to go to work. Same general location for both - which is convenient, but makes writing at home on my own computer difficult.) However, moving at the moment is not an option, nor a preferred choice, so I’ll have to make do for a bit.
A wonderful friend on a forum I frequent has started up a group of us reading and reviewing a book-a-week. That makes 52 books in one year.
So, rather that just posting them on the forum, I'm going to post them here, too.
Since I started the 52 weeks with January 1, I'm going to back-date the initial ones to their proper week.
Enjoy!
The Return of Wolves to Germany: “Fears Are Being Stoked” - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News
Now, what on Earth do I have to do with Germany, or wolves, you ask? Well, the sequel to SS is set in Germany. And the point of conflict? Local authorities think there’s a werewolf.
So - yay!
It seems that the Germans had killed off all wolves in their area in the late 20th century. Which makes it difficult for someone trying to put werewolves in Germany. Except that now the wolves are back!
This is very exciting. (In a nature-lover sense, too.) But now I NEED TO WRITE. In a bad way. Let’s hope that I can get going on this before I completely lose my momentum.
Well, I used to really like Blogger. And then I discovered that I liked Wordpress better. And then Blogger went new, and now it seems to be better than it was before.
So, I'll now be trying Blogger again, because I like being able to use the javascript widgets that Wordpress doesn't allow (due to security issues).
So.
For now, I will just be cross-posting writing blog stuff and CSFF Blog Tour stuff. Just to see if I like Blogger enough to switch back. I'm not sure yet; we'll have to see.
Week 8 ~ Feb 19-25, 2007
The Smoke Thief
by Shana Abe
(fantasy, some romance)
I expected to like this book when I read the blurbs in my Sci-fi/Fantasy book club pamphlet. But then I read the prologue, and I wasn't sure. The style of the prologue is nice, but a bit omniscient for my tastes. And then I read the first chapter. And I was hooked.
I guess it makes sense that the prologue is more omniscient than I generally like, since it's giving the rather long background of a mythical people. These people, the drakon, are magical beings. (And I feel really stupid for not reading it aloud and realizing early on in the book that "drakon" = "dragon". I thought they were just similar.) The drakon are very good at adapting to avoid persecution, and when the story starts their rulers are concerned that they have gotten *too* good at it. None of the females can Turn. (From human to dragon. They have both forms, as well as an in-between one. Smoke.)
(The book is set in 18th century
Over the course of the book, we follow the hero, Kit, and the heroine, Rue. They both have to learn how to deal with another Alpha - Kit, as the ruler of the drakon, is the Alpha male; Rue, as the only female who can Turn, by default becomes the Alpha female. Some of the happenings in the book (like the identity of the Smoke Thief and the happy ending) come as no surprise. However, the wonderful voice that Shana uses to tell the story makes the obvious parts of the plot very enjoyable, and there are still twists that have the potential to confuse.
I'm very glad there's a sequel. I can't wait to read more.
