My 2008 Reading Wrap-Up

*Caution, my OCD-prone nature is about to rear-it's ugly, Excel loving head.

In 2008, I read/listened to fifty books. Of those fifty books, only one was a re-read; The Sunrise Lands by S. M. Stirling. Which means, needless to say, that book is in my top reads list for the year. But seeing as I wanted to do something different this year with my "top reads" list, I did a "net worth" list instead. I ranked books on how much they were worth compared to how much I paid for them. So, with that in mind, let's cover the worst of the year.

The Three Books I Couldn't Finish:
#1 - Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley (cost $1.64 / value $0 = 0%)
#2 - The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (cost $14.95 / value $0 = 0%)
#3 - Roughing It by Mark Twain (cost $0 / value $0 = 0%)

Now, before you roast me for putting Twain in there, he was free, so chill out. And I love Twain, so chill out some more. But I just couldn't stomach this one, so I had to stop reading it. The Disappeared was, well, hard to get into. And Winterbirth had some way crazy names and characters I couldn't follow.

The Lowest Net Worth:
#1 - Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (cost $49.95 / value $2.50 = 5%)
#2 - Dark Lord by Ed Greenwood (cost $14.95 / value $1.95 = 13%)
#3 - The Ancient by R. A. Salvatore (cost $44.95 / value $9.95 = 22%)

Yes, part of me feels shamed that Salvatore, my once all-time favorite author, is on this list, but I think my reading habits have developed beyond puberty now and I'm ready to expand my horizons. At least a little. Brown's book was by far the most disappointing book. I was so hyped after Da Vinci that this like was a limp noodle next to it.

The Highest Net Worth:
#1 - Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling (cost $5.95 / value $7.95 = 134%)
#2 - Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie (cost $15.00 / value $19.99 = 133%)
#3 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (cost $39.99 / value $39.99 = 100%)
tie - The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon (cost $39.95 / value $39.95 = 100%)
tie - The Protector's War by S. M. Stirling (cost $14.95 / value $14.95 = 100%)
tie - A Meeting at Corvallis by S. M. Stirling (cost $14.95 / value $14.95 = 100%)
tie - The Sunrise Lands by S. M. Stirling (cost $14.95 / value $14.95 = 100%)

Feel free to call me lame on this list, but hey, they were good books. And yes, Stirling is on the list with four titles. So sue me, I like his work. Chabon's Yiddish book is likely the biggest surprise. Never would have figured it would amount to much but the guy is an artist that paints with words and prose. Abercrombie is, well, the king. Rowling's book was okay, but I really needed that ending. Without it, I think I would have given it a much lower ranking.

Books That Are Worth It:
...but didn't make the list (net worth included)
Winter's Discord by John Zeleznik (95%)
Dead to Me by Anton Strout (94%)
Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines (94%)
Last Argument of Kings and The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (85% and 80%)
Beyond Band of Brothers by Major Dick Winters (80%)
Crusade by Taylor Anderson (80%)
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman (75%)
Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by the un-related Nathan Hale (75%)

The Year's End

With so much happening over the holidays and with my taking some vacation time, it's hard to find time to sit back, check email, skim the RSS feeds, and post something here.

So, I thought I'd share some quick thoughts on memorable moments that have happened over the past week or two.

Elizabeth stopped me one day while I was sharpening the kitchen knives on one of those wheely-sharpener-thingies and asked how it worked. So I showed how you sharpened the knives, then explained how it was like the emory board you use on her fingernails. After giving her an example with her fingernail, she said something to the effect of "Dad, you're the bestest teacher. You always take the time to explain to William and me how things work and we learn it so fast. You're a great learner."

I finished Abercrombie's final book, The Last Argument of Kings. While I can certainly see how some may take the ending as below par for his level of work, I must say I can see his subtle hand in the workings of the greater machine of a genius author. All those comparisons of him being the Tarentino of fantasy aren't true. He's better than that. Glotka is gruesome. Logen is human. And Bayaz makes the Emperor in Star Wars look like a sissy boy.

It snowed today. Briefly, but it snowed. Yvonne and I got a "grown-up day" while the in-laws babysat the kids. We did some returns, spent time together, had lunch, and painted a plate (at a pottery place - something I haven't done in several years).

There were presents galore. So many presents I know I didn't get pictures of them all. Me, I got a Les Stroud book, and a jacket, pants, and new shoes for running. Yvonne got lots of stuff she returned (so much for me thinking I know her size), books, and movies. Oh, I got movies too. We scored big on DVDs this year. Movies, TV shows, etc. And of course there were a ton of toys and clothes for the kids. A few duplicates we returned today, but overall some nice stuff. Like stuff I'm excited about playing with too.

William is getting big. And he's starting to understand more and more everyday. Lately I've noticed he's learning to shake his head "no" when he doesn't want something. You'll ask him if he wants a "milk" or a "toy" and he'll shake his head. Trust me, it's an improvement on him just shaking his head "no" when you tell him not to do something.

Oh, and if you've made it this far, I've started a new blog (this will be number four in my resume) over at Library Dad. Go there to see what it's all about. I'm hoping, really hoping, that I'll be able to spend most of my year over there instead of here. Which means fewer updates on my life and more updates on the library.

There are of course more updates of a more personal nature, but I'll just leave it at saying I love my wife and I like our (joint) New Year's resolution.

I'm over halfway through Chabon's Kavalier and Clay novel. Not quite as good as his Yiddish Policemen's Union, but still a work of art. Chabon is a master with words.

I also finished The Road Taken by Megan Hart. Simply put, it's a short, lame, romance novel with some dirty scenes in it. But it was free.

I'm still reading the Bible. I'm in 2 Samuel and it's actually (and surprisingly) getting interesting. More so than some of the other books I've read this year.

I'm looking forward to you, the reader, to tell me what to read next over at Library Dad.

And I think that's it. If you care, I don't really have a New Year's resolution for myself. I would like to run most or all of the Grand Prix events in the area (tomorrow's race isn't part of the Grand Prix, but I figured, hell, what's some frigid temperatures when it comes to starting the year off right, right? Yeah. We'll see if I freeze, run, walk, and finish.

The Sunrise Lands

I know I've talked about this book before, in fact it was the first one on my list for this year. How fitting it's near the bottom at year end.

After re-reading what I said back then, I'm pretty much still in the same frame of mind. The end wasn't quite what I wanted, but still good enough to keep me hooked.

Catch Up Reviews

No, not like ketchup you put on a burger, catch up like I'm behind in writing a few reviews.

First, we have Crusade, the latest book of the Destroyermen by Taylor Anderson. Now, his first book was okay. Clearly not in the league of S. M. Stirling, but decent enough to read the next book in the series.

His second book follows much in the same vein, but shows some signs of improvement. There are certain aspects that I still don't much like (especially the pacing), but Anderson seems to have gotten better at his craft. The characters are developing (slowly) and the action has certainly picked up a notch (and far outpaces the first book). Anderson shows clearly he knows about battle at sea and on land. His Grik bad guys and Cat Monkey good guys make for an interesting twist on the "normal" alternate-history genre.

What I noticed most about this installment was the humor (it's getting better and is well placed) and the dialogue. Certain characters seem to have these two or three page speeches throughout the book. While certain books couldn't support this style, Anderson does well with it.

Next, we have the books that I had to stop reading. Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley, The Disappeared by Kristine Kathyrn Rusch, and Roughing It by Mark Twain (I've read it before, but had to stop since it was pretty dry listening). Most disappointing was Winterbirth as I really, really wanted to enjoy this one. Unfortunately, it was just waaaaaaaay too slow for me.

Which brings us to Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale and illustrated by Nathan Hale (no relation to the first two). I'm not a big graphic novel kind of guy, but this one had a cover that caught my eye at the library (yes, the library, that's your one and only clue about my next project idea).

The art inside was fantastic and the storyline was much like Shrek. Funny, entertaining, and pretty close to the original stories to bring in some big names. Like Jack (of beanstalk fame). Anyway, a pleasant read.

And I'll finish off with A Meeting at Corvallis by S. M. Stirling. This one was actually a re-read (well, I read it the first time and listened to it this time). As usual, Stirling delivers. Plenty of action, drama, double-crosses, and witches. Can't wait to get deeper into the storyline of the Change because I'm hooked again.

The power of 3

*Caution - There will be swearing in this post.

I've long been a fan of the number 3 (sorry Paulie, I have to use the number, not the word here). Probably because I was born on the 3rd. Or just because I'm weird. Anyway, the number 3 has appeared in many things cool. The Star Wars Trilogy. The Back to the Future Trilogy. The Icewind Dale Trilogy. A "silence of three parts" in The Name of the Wind.

I've been re-reading (listening actually) S. M. Stirling's saga about The Change. Repeatedly there's the idea or concept of "the three-fold law" essentially saying that if you do something good, it will be repaid to you three-fold. Same goes for evil. Kind of like what you dish out, you get back. I've never been a big fan of this "pay it forward" kind of mentality. After all, look what happened to the kid in the movie.

Which brings us my weekend. It sucked. Shopping when you're tired is NOT a good idea. Tired and cranky makes it worse. Tired and cranky in a sea of people, well, you get the idea. Saturday was spent at the local library getting a library card (more on that in a later post), watching Elizabeth learn about money, shopping at the local craft fair (more on that in a second), and shopping in town for groceries, Christmas presents, and the like.

While at the craft fair, there was a dearth of parking spots. So I parked in what one would assume to be a normal spot, behind someone else. When we left, someone decided to park behind me, effectively making my day. And if you happen to be that TN VOL fan, I'm not sorry I pushed your fucking car the few inches I did to remove myself from the parking lot. You're damn lucky I didn't push you to the other side of the fucking lot because I easily could have. So enjoy your early fucking Christmas present and I seriously hope I don't run into you in the next week. I might do something stupid just like you.

Yesterday was even more pleasant. Instead of six hours of sleep, I got four. But the sea of people had ebbed a bit, so I was able to ford my way through. We did get some more groceries for the holidays and I gave a few chuckles at Victoria's Secret. Elizabeth and I went to pick up some free underwear and I decided to shop for a Christmas present. Elizabeth was anxious to leave so she could ride the "rides" in the mall (those little car-thingies that move around). Well, when she heard I wanted to "shop" there, she said "Why daddy? Everything in here is for girls." "Yes sweetie, everything in here is for girls, , but I wanted to shop for something for mommy, not for me to wear." The woman passing by did her best not to laugh out loud. At least not while I was close enough to hear her. Then we had Yvonne losing more of a crown last night. It's a wonderful, wonderful thing that I don't like beer. I might be an alcoholic if I did.

And this morning, things looked brighter. Our dentist was nice enough to update us on the changes made based on our letter (which was based on our poor experience with Elizabeth's teeth). So that made me feel better. And my hygienist was chatty, which was okay, but it still makes me wonder if deaf people talk while at the dentist. Anybody know?

So now that I've let off some steam, I'm starting to gear up for next year and what projects it will bring. I'm brewing one right now, but we'll see how it works out. Meanwhile I'll be counting to ten.

One Abbamondi

Two Abbamondi

Three Abbamondi

Four Abbamondi

Five Abbamondi

Six Abbamondi

Seven Abbamondi

Eight Abbamondi

Nine Abbamondi

Ten Abbamondi

I am now at peace with the galaxy.

Gingerbread Houses

While out shopping this weekend, Elizabeth and I saw these awesome constructions:











We also scored a signed copy of Tomie De Paola's Brava, Strega Nona. He was in town for a signing and I have to say, this is by far the best pop-up book I've ever seen. Not only are the scenes artfully done and colorful, they are so finely engineered, it's amazing. I mean, they do things I never would have thought possible in a pop-up book.

The Zookeeper's Wife

I just finished reading the sad and inspiring tale about a zookeeper's wife in Poland during WWII. Why was it sad? Because a lot of people died in Poland during WWII, many of them Jews. When I read Night by Elie Wiesel I wanted to cry, vomit, and do my best at removing everything associated with the images it left in my brain (they haunt me still). So I wasn't too enthused about that part of the story, but I will say that Ackerman did a great job in keeping it accurate, but muted. This is by no means a story about Nazi hate and Jews being killed. It's a story about a woman doing everything she can to save her family from the horrors of war.

Oddly, and interestingly, that family included animals. Sure, some of us have pets, but think about taking care of hyena pups. Or a badger. Or a lion. Or an elephant. Then try imagining worrying about those animals (and your own kids) while planes are bombing the city. Yeah, tough job.

Overall, it's a good read. It gives you an inside look at zoo life, the war in Poland, and how luck always seems to find the right people. I'm always amazed at how luck seemed to find the right people at the right time during the war. From family stories of my great-uncle getting shot down over Russia (and surviving) to stories like The Forgotten 500 (a group of Allies that flew out from behind enemy lines).

And that's what the zookeeper and his wife had; luck. And lots of it. They survived the war and kept their family intact.

How would your favorite fantasy character vote?

Thanks to the constant media attention on the next election, I clearly have politics on my brain. And thanks to Palin's scheduled visit to the area today and the most recent RNC radio ad about Obama taking my guns away, I've been forced to inject some humor into politics. Or at least try to have some fun.

Kvothe - Anarchist - This was a toss up between Anarchists (who don't appear to be on the ballot) and the Libertarians. In the end, I think Kvothe would prefer the anarchy as it would allow him to hide form those greater forces that may be looking for him.

Drizzt Do'Urden - Democrat - I know they say race isn't an issue, but seriously. You know people are going to vote for or against Obama because he's black. While I don't think Drizzt would do this, I do think it would give him some pause when decided who to vote for. In the end, I think he'll look for a more peaceful party that wants to end the war in Iraq.

Jig - Undecided - By far the easiest one in my list. Jig clearly is undecided until someone tells him who to vote for. He only cares about surviving the next adventure.

Simon Canderous - Democrat - Another easy one, mainly because he lives in New York City, a hive of scum, villainy, and Democrats. I also think Simon would get a bit more funding for his department with a Democrat in office, something he and his co-workers need.

Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy - Republican - Because he's in the Navy, and was last seen fighting the Japanese armada in the Pacific Theatre of WWII, Reddy is going to vote for McCain. he may not be thrilled about having a skirt as Vice President, but she does have a pretty face.

Juniper Mackenzie - Green Party - As a Witch and survivor of the Change, she and her clan are clearly in the Green Party's hip pocket.

Looks like it'll be a close race.

*Profuse apologies to the creators of these fictional characters. If you see a flaw or would like to explain why your character is voting a certain way, feel free to let me know.

It's like Christmas

Or my birthday.

A few days back, I got my first freebie in the mail. Two actually. One was for free cat litter (I know we don't have a cat, but it will be good for oil spills in the shed) and the other was for some popcorn rice-cake like snack (which was okay).

Then yesterday my mom sent me three books (all for my birthday). One was on my list, the other two were suggested reading from her.







And then today, the UPS guy sent a cooler full of hamburgers! They're for the whole family, but hey, I'm still gonna eat some!

Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Destroyermen and HBO

First off, I finished Destroyermen: Into the Storm this weekend. The easiest way I can describe it is:

Imagine Kurt R. A. Giambastiani met S. M. Stirling. They concoct a story. They invite Robert Jordan to tell it.

Yep, that's right, Giambastiani's dinosaurs, Stirling's alternate history, and Jordan's pacing. Now, if anyone understood that, congratulations. You're one of about five people in the world to get it. For everyone else, keep reading.



Giambastiani wrote a series (The Fallen Cloud Saga) that tells the story of General George Armstrong Custer (and his son) in an alternate version of the US. One where the natives (i.e. Indians) ride dinosaurs. Sounds odd, I know, but if you haven't read it, give it a shot.

Stirling wrote (and still is writing) a series about the Change. It starts with Nantucket getting "zapped" back in time. The rest of the world (the one we know) suffers a change in physics resulting in guns, cars, and pretty much anything modern not working. Great series. Another must read.

Jordan wrote (and Sanderson will finish) the Wheel of Time series. A simple story of a young man destined to save the world and go crazy in the process. And by simple, I mean one of the most long and drawn our series of all time. Well, until Martin and a few others came along.

So, dinosaurs, alternate history, and slow pacing. That's the gist of this story. But don't get me wrong, I liked it. The chapters are massive. And by massive, I mean the average size book had seven chapters. Yeah. And there were times when the story plodded along as slow as an ancient turtle. But there's a gem in there. The gem is the overall story. Right now, we just get to brush the dirt and grime off the outside edge. And I'm sure the next installment (below) will be better.



In other news, I was recently reminded of the shows HBO has done in the past. I'm nearly finished with John Adams and have felt like it hasn't quite lived up to the others I've seen (Deadwood and Band of Brothers mostly). So I decided to see when HBO did their shows. Not when where they released, but when in time. So enjoy my spreadsheet goodness below.

Politics are like ticks

They suck your blood and give you diseases.

And because of that, I've tried to avoid talking politics here. I have opinions, admittedly strong ones, about the candidates. But I do believe that you and everyone else out there can believe in what you want.

To that end, I'd like to say two things. First, I'll let renowned author Paul S. Kemp speak my mind.

Second, I'd like to direct your attention to the crackpot candidate running for House of Representatives in an effort to represent our area. One Mr. Nathan Larson. For those of you not wanting to read the entire thing, here are a few choice quotes:

A better solution would be simply to privatize all schools and eliminate government funding for education.

Nathan supports providing police, courts, and prisons through the private sector. To help prevent abuses, it is desirable that citizens and communities be allowed to choose among competing vendors of these services.

All federal taxes should be repealed, and government services should be completely privatized.

And my favorite:

Nathan supports completely abolishing the United States military and replacing it with an anarcho-capitalist system in which private defense agencies compete for the business of American customers.

So in effect he wants to eliminate my wife's job, eliminate my job, and allow anyone with enough money and guns to run the country. I love the wild west and western expansion. But not that much.

Lost, Found, and Lost again

I've finished An American Robinson Crusoe by Samuel B. Allison and was left disappointed. Sure, it was a good spin on the original Robinson Crusoe, so good, it was pretty much the same book. Just shorter. And for kids. And that was the good part. But it clearly pointed out much of the similarities between this work and Swiss Family Robinson. Both are great books in the "cast-away" genre, but, well, it's just not the same. Can't put my finger on it, but it's just not the same.



With the end of Crusoe, I started The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. And right now I'm lost. I think I'm just far enough into it to have a lot of questions, but not far enough into it to have any answers.



Which brings us to Lost. The TV show. I'm totally hooked. Granted, I've heard good and bad about the show and I'm only in season 2 (supposedly before it gets bad), but I'm really enjoying it.

I feel bad

...and it makes me feel good. I skipped the Y this morning as I appear to have been every one's bathroom/snoring/coughing/crying buddy last night. Which means dear old dad got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep. So in an effort to curb The Grouch inside of me, I went back to bed for a bit.

In other news, I installed the lights in my shed yesterday. Four, shiny, fluorescent lights now hang form the ceiling. I also trimmed the grass and pulled some weeds (some - not all). And of course I watched the Steelers loose. Yuck.

Saturday was spent running around town buying groceries and filling prescriptions. I did manage to put in a little workout that afternoon, but nothing major. Although I am very proud of my sub-10 mile (despite how old it makes me feel).



I also finished the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy this weekend and didn't much enjoy it. I think it's the whole Monty Python style of humor that, while I find mildly amusing, I don't find overly funny. Maybe if Mel Brooks would have been a bigger influence I would have liked it more. I also started An American Robinson Crusoe and was surprised. Here I was thinking this would be an American version of the classic. Unfortunately I was right. It seems to be more of a kid's book than anything, so I'm cruising through it pretty fast.

Destroyermen is moving along nicely. Still a bit clunky at times and certainly dense, but it makes for a good challenge as I really want to see what happens.

She knows me

The good/bad news of the day...the lady at the front desk of the local YMCA knows me. Not by name, but as I walked in this morning and went to flash my little temporary pass, she said "Don't bother. You're okay."

Yes, I'm there that much. So far, every weekday morning. Granted, not everyday is a "hard" workout day, but I try to do something at least.

In other news, I'm suffering through Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. That's right, I said suffering. I never could get into the whole Monty Python style of British humor, and that's exactly what this is. Monty Python. In space.

Now, Mr. Bean? I love Mr. Bean. He's awesome. But he's more physical comedy than odd, witty, bizarro, British humor. Sorry, make that humour.

Destroyermen: Into the Storm is gathering steam, so to speak. It was rough going in the start, and is just starting to shine through the clouds as a series (and author) that shows promise. I'm still holding out high hopes for this book and I get the feeling that it might, just might deliver. And if not now, at least in the next book.

For those that haven't read it yet, think Kurt R. A. Giambastiani meets S. M. Stirling. Dinosaurs meet The Change. I think four people in the world will get that. And none will be reading this blog. Oh well. Have a good weekend.

Two thirds

So my last post from today said I was a third of the way to my workout goal.

This post takes me two-thirds of the way to a "Three for Thursday" posting session.

Can you tell I'm a compulsive counter?

So, I just finished listening to The Protector's War yesterday and finished reading Gentlemen of the Road today and I thought I'd talk a bit about each.

The Protector's War (by S. M. Stirling) is one of many in a series about The Change. Something goes kerplooey in the cosmic scheme of things (actually, it's more around the physics of the compression of gases not generating heat like before) and guns and cars don't work. Yeah. So the world is thrown into this medieval sort of style of living and I'm sure you can guess how some people adapted. Anyway, the series Stirling has written is awesome. One of the best alternate-history books (and series) ever written. If you like that sort of thing, check it out.

Gentlemen of the Road (by Michael Chabon) actually started life as a serialized story in The New Yorker. My previous experience with Chabon is limited to his recent The Yiddish Policemen's Union book, but the same style sticks out here as well. He writes well, is verbose, and tends to put the main pot on pause while he uses a plethora of vocabulary words. So it's a bit hard to get into sometimes, but the story as a whole is good. This one had some plot twists I wasn't expecting, but overall, I enjoyed it. It's also very short (around 200 pages) so it's a quick read.

The Blade Itself

This one, by Marcus Sakey, wasn't nearly as good as the previous one, by Joe Abercrombie. But it was still good enough to read and enjoy. Abercrombie and Sakey clearly write in different genres, but Abercrombie is also a genius of sorts. So comparing Sakey to him wouldn't be right.

On it's own, Sakey writes a gritty novel about Chicago's North and South Sides and how two guys live on the wrong side of the law. When one bails on the other during a robbery gone wrong, he sets his life straight. That is until his partner gets out of jail years later and ropes him into doing something worse.

And that is what Sakey writes so well, a bad guy so bad you want to kill him. Sure, he made many of the classic mistakes of bad guys (like toying with his victim before killing him - thus allowing the hero to rescue the victim) but he's also one evil dude. Downright violent and damn near sociopathic.

While tings work out in the end (as expected) there were some weaknesses to Sakey's book. Mainly the predictability of it. Think about that classic television show or movie where the bad guy keeps winning and winning until the good guy comes back from the brink to win it all.

Oomph, books that hit you in the gut

So I recently finished two Star Wars books after a back-to-back reading session. First came Inferno by Troy Denning, then Fury by Aaron Allston (Legacy of the Force books 6 and 7 respectively).

And wow, what a wild ride.

It had been a while since I picked up a Star Wars book (way back in March), I think mainly due to getting burned out a bit. Well, simmering on the back burner, I finally smelled the sweet aroma of the Force and decided to delve into how evil Jacen Solo is.

He's the next Darth Vader. That's how evil he is and that's how duplicitous the story is. Just imagine yourself watching Episodes I-VI and that's pretty much The Legacy of the Force (LOTF) series. At times, it makes me cringe (like when Jacen does that Vader-thing to the security officer). Fortunately, there is enough new material and enough awesomeness to offset the copycat-like plot line.

And these two books (and pretty much the whole series' story arc) is as good as or better than the New Jedi Order. It's hard to pick which is better because LOTF feeds on NJO. Anyway, I'm taking a breather from LOTF as I pick up a another book that has been simmering, Marcus Sakey's The Blade Itself (not to be confused with Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself).

Lots of Book News

It must be Monday because Publisher's Weekly dumped a bunch of book-related news. Here are the highlights:

- A blurb about a "book boot camp" in Vancouver.
- For those that don't know, Borders recently redesigned their website. Here's a bit more information on the changes.
- Audible (one of the best audio book sources in my opinion) is launching an independent line. Also a new version of an e-book reader is available for the iPhone.
- There are a ton of debut novels here. And even more children's book debuts here.
- And finally, some news on the future of comics.

That is all.

Friday Frustrations

I'm in the middle of one horrid book and near the end of another horrid book. And I can't decide what's worse, continuing with the horrid books or feeling bad that the books are so bad even though you really want to like them.

That's right, I'm at the halfway point of Ed Greenwood's Dark Lord, book one of the Falconfar series. I really wanted to like this one and it even started out as the right genre for me (normal Earth guy gets sucked into a fantasy world with knights and dragons). But this is no Woods Out Back. In fact, I thought Ed was a better writer. At least that's the impression I got when I listened to other people talk about him. Seeing as I never read any of his work, I'm a bit disappointed in the quality of this book. Everything feels so...fake. I know, I know, it's a fiction book. But I want to be part of the story. I want to be so engrossed I forget to eat.

Then we have The Tower of Shadows by Drew Bowling. I heard some positive rumblings awhile back about the book and finally decided to pick it up. And what do I get? A cookie cutter story about a young man destined to fight evil with a group of rag-tag friends. This feels very much like an episode of Knight Rider or something where the Knight comes in at just the right moment to save the day. I will give Drew credit for writing something and getting it published and getting big names like Terry Brooks and R. A. Salvatore to write blurbs.

But my big hangup with both books is the character development. There is none. There aren't even characters, just these two dimensional cardboard cutouts of stereotypes. Ugh. I can't wait to finish.

On a more positive note, here's proof that children are the root of happiness. Elizabeth is playing dress-up with her imaginary friend, Sickey. Oh, you can't see Sickey?* You must be a sci-fi/fantasy author!



*(Sickey's on the left.)

A Voluntary Meme

Yes, I'm not really a fan of memes but I happen to like this one. Mainly because I keep my books on my nightstand. So, courtesy of Gabriele, I bring you the The Bedside Table Meme.

The Table:
A Shaker style nightstand purchased in Farmville, Virginia when I was in high school (early 90s). I believe it's made of oak or pine, but the finish is a pale, pine look. It holds:

• my alarm clock (a piece of crap that still works)
• my every-day-carry stuff (wallet, keys, cell phone, pocket knife, iPod, and sunglasses)
• a box of Kleenex
• a small hand-painted wooden book with stickers on it (thanks to Elizabeth)
• a blue and white gingham, hand-sewn coverlet (thanks to Yvonne)
• a small brass lamp purchased specifically for the nightstand (at or around the same time the nightstand was purchased)

Inside the door, well, we don't need to go there.

The Method:
I generally just read with my head on the pillows. Nothing fancy like I did when I was kid and used my pillows to hide the light from shining under the door. Dad never liked me staying up late to read.

Reading at the Moment:
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (in free PDF format, so technically it's not on my bedside table)

Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling (in audio format, so again, technically not on my bedside table - this is also a re-read)

The Tower of Shadows by Drew Bowling (a real, honest to God mass market paperback book)

Can't Put Down:
Dies the Fire. Even though this is a re-read, I'm enjoying the audio version very much. Great series if you haven't read it.

Gathering Dust:
I'm ashamed to say it, but the Star Wars Legacy of the Force series. Just haven't felt very much like reading sci-fi.

Secret Indulgence:
True crime. But if you know my B.A. was in Criminal Justice you'd guess that. Making romance my true secret indulgence. Specifically the Nerd series by Vicki Lewis Thompson.

Looking Forward To:
Outside of that, I'm itching to read A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

And no, I won't tag anybody. I just don't operate that way. But feel free to join in on the meme.