Symphony for a Devil

Book List: February 2010

2010-03-01T03:35:50Z

So I wasn't quite as productive this month as I was last in terms of reading; however, I had some titles that required me to slow down and pay attention. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. As always, all reviews may be found at calico_reaction, and discussion is most welcome. :)

Finished Books: February

Breaking Dawn (2008)
Written by: Stephenie Meyer
Genre: YA/Paranormal Romance
Pages: 756 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Kindred (1979)
Written by: Octavia E. Butler
Genre: Science Fiction/Historical Fiction
Pages: 287 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The God Engines (2009)
Written by: John Scalzi
Genre: Science Fantasy
Pages: 136 (Hardcover)
My Review: Buy the Paperback

Children of God (1998)
Written by: Mary Doria Russell
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 438 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Thirteen Reasons Why (2007)
Written by: Jay Asher
Genre: YA/Fiction
Pages: 288 (Hardcover)
My Review: Buy the Paperback

What I'm Watching: Dramas

2010-02-20T03:12:37Z

It's been FOREVER since I posted anything of substenance, and for that, I apologize. I just read, read, read all the time, so between the two blogs, it's calico_reaction that gets the attention, not devilwrites.

But let's talk tv, because that's the OTHER thing I do all of the time. Dramas first, because oddly, I watch fewer dramas than comedies (at least, that's what it feels like), and hopefully, I'll remember to post my comedies later. :)

What I'm going to do is my shows in order of favorites, from most to least, if that makes sense, and then talk about why. :)

Lost: Season 06

Okay, we're finally into Lost's final season and to be honest, I love this show so much I can't talk about it rationally, even to defend it from detractors. I will say this though: as much as I love this show, as much as I'm excited to see it end so that I can buy the complete series on BluRay and watch it all over again, I'm going to withhold any sort of verdict or praise for this show until it's over. Why? Because I vigorously defended Battlestar Galactica until halfway through its last season, and then the show bitterly disappointed me. Lost has the potential to do that, though I have every faith in the writers that it won't happen. They know their ending, unlike the writers of BSG who went on record saying they sat in the writer's room FOR HOURS trying to figure out how to write the finale. Sigh.

But yes. I love this show to pieces. I think it has the potential to be one of the greatest television shows of all time, if they end it right, and the way the show's progressed, I honestly think it could happen. :) This show is the only thing on my television schedule that I absolutely MUST WATCH LIVE, and that's saying something.

Fringe: Season 02:

This show is rapidly becoming a favorite, and it's all due to the cast and the way the cast relates to the mythology itself. Even when the stand-alone episodes ring a little too close to The X-Files, they always manage to focus on the cast in a way that makes you love them more. And honestly, Fringe is what would happen if The X-Files and Lost had a baby: fascinating overall mythology (but not as convoluted as Lost), with stand-alone episodes that are freaky, fun, and frightening. I hope to hell Fox renews this for a third season, because I'm going to NEED this sucker after Lost is over. YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

Or maybe you do: "Olivia, please don't tell him."

*dies*

Human Target: Season 01:

This show is just a lot of fun, with a self-aware kind of cheese that reminds me fondly of action shows from the eighties. Not QUITE as cheesy, and I like the production, but what I like best is the cast: Mark Valley (Fringe) as Chance, Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies, how I miss thee!) as Winston, and Jackie Earl Hayley (Watchmen) as Guerrero: these three are a lot of fun, and it's also entertaining to recognize the guest stars, like Kevin Weisman (Marshal from Alias) and Tricia Helfner (Six from Battlestar Galactica). At any rate, I'm enjoying the show, but if something happens and it gets canned, I'm not going to be broken-hearted.

FlashForward: Season 01:

The first half of the season took its dear sweet time in pulling me in, and I still stand by my earlier critique. However, the episodes started picking up, and while characters still did things to irritate the snot out of me, I'm interested to see where the story goes from here. The episode "Believe" was particularly engaging, and I'm just starting to get to the point where this show COULD become must-see tv for me. But this show, too, is one of those that won't break my heart if it doesn't get renewed. We'll see if I'm singing the same tune after the finale, though.

Caprica: Season 01:

The verdict is still out on this one. The prequel to Battlestar Galactica is certainly thought-provoking and I like the cast quite a bit: all of the roles feel lived in, like these people have been around forever, and I'm fascinated to see the mythology behind the cylon's rise to consciousness. Almost giddy. However, I feel very cautious about this show, simply because I don't trust the writers to fill in the blanks in a way that makes sense. More worrisome is my fear that they'll ignore the continuity set up in BSG and introduce certain characters in this series that should still be on Earth at this point in the timeline (or at least in space, flying in the right direction). You know who I mean. *cough*~~Final Five!~~*cough*

That said, I'm enjoying it. It's a slow-building show, with a sharp focus on characters and issues, and in spite of myself, I'm interested. But I don't trust it. I probably never will, and that's a shame. But Moore brought it upon himself with that BSG finale, so he's going to have to earn my trust back, and it won't be easily given.

V: Season 01:

This is fun in a pure, unapologetically SF way, but in some ways, it's almost too fast-paced, too simple. I keep wanting to complicate matters, but really, the story is what it seems on the surface. Not a bad thing, as the show is entertaining so far, but I'm not sure of it's chances for renewal. We'll see. The show returns the end of March, right after Lost, and it does have actors I enjoy watching (Elizabeth Mitchell from Lost and Morena Baccarin from Firefly/Serenity). It's another that if it gets canceled, I'm not going to be too upset (unless the show manages to hook me on an emotional level and combines that with a cliffhanger ending).

Stargate Universe: Season 01:

Stopped watching. I hated to admit defeat, but let's face it: I was DVR-ing every episode and letting them pile up, and there wasn't anyone I was truly attached to in the cast. Sure, there were some sympathetic characters, but no one whose story had be tuning in each week for everything morsel I could get. I got through six episodes, but just couldn't bring myself to continue. Maybe the show will get better in time (maybe it's already gotten better), but the format was too formulaic from week to week, and if I don't have a cast to latch on to and focus, I can't get past the formula. I was also tired of characters acting like assholes for no good reason, and I was tired of other characters getting shit on for no good reason. Oh well. :)

Book List: January 2010

2010-02-04T22:58:51Z

A surprisingly productive reading month, though two of these suckers didn't pass the "100 page rule" and were put aside, unfinished. Not that I mind much. My TBR pile is WAY too big to waste time on books that aren't catching my interest.

As always, reviews may be found at calico_reaction.

Finished Books: January

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2005)
Written by: Stieg Larsson
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 107/590 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Couldn't Finish It

Eclipse (2007)
Written by: Stephenie Meyer
Genre: YA/Paranormal Romance
Pages: 629 (Hardcover)
My Review: Glad It Was Free

Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall (2009)
Written by: Kazuo Ishiguro
Genre: Short Fiction
Pages: 221 (Hardcover)
My Review: Wish I'd Borrowed It

Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog (2007)
Written by: Ysabeau S. Wilce
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Pages: 438 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Give it Away

Last Dragon (2008)
Written by: J.M. McDermott
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 390 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Must Have

Black Ships (2008)
Written by: Jo Graham
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 310 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Couldn't Finish It

Magic Strikes (2009)
Written by: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 310 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Shadow of the Wind (2001)
Written by: Carlos Ruiz Zafrón
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 487 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Kitty's House of Horrors (2010)
Written by: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 292 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Must Have

The Adoration of Jenna Fox (2008)
Written by: Mary E. Pearson
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 265 (Hardcover)
My Review: Must Have

In the Woods (2007)
Written by: Tana French
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 429 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

February's Book Club Selection

2010-02-02T17:53:44Z

Kindred (1979)
Written by: Octavia E. Butler

I've had a handful of Octavia E. Butler's work, and I'm always thoroughly amazed at what she manages to pack and convey in her fiction. She's definitely an author you DON'T want to miss! :)

Anyone who'd like to participate, just read the book! I'll post my review on February 28th for you to comment, or at least, fill out a poll saying whether you participated or not.

If you're looking for links to buy the book or want more challenge details (and next month's theme!) just click here.

Top Ten Giveaway!!!

2010-01-10T17:39:05Z

All right, here are the lists I promised all of you, as well as a head's up about the giveaway for those of you who don't read calico_reaction.

1) Top Ten Favorite Reads: 2009

2) Comic Book Review: 2009

And last but not least:

3) GIVEAWAY: 2009 Top Ten!

A note about the giveaway: the more people who enter means there will be more winners. Feel free to pimp the giveaway in your own webspace as well!

Multitasking

2010-01-04T03:57:40Z

I've always been one of those people who refused to write more than one project at a time. While I was getting my Masters, that made a helluva lot of sense. I had SERIOUS deadlines that I had to fulfill, and a project to finish.

But those deadlines are gone. And yet, I've been holding on to the idea that I can't work on more than one project at a time. Why?

Fact: once I get immersed into a project mentally, I don't like thinking about another project at all, because it requires a gear-shit.

Fact: sometimes I have moments where my brain REFUSES TO THINK about the current project, and it leaps to something else I've got on the back burner.

So why not make use of that? It's not as if I have SERIOUS deadlines to follow (I do actually have deadlines, but those are such that I'm not required to turn in a specific project), so why not focus on which ever project strikes my fancy at the time?

I keep needing to find a way to fall in love with writing all over again. Maybe the first step is letting go and allowing myself to have more than one iron in the fire. If I feel like working on the SFR, I will. If I want to brainstorm the space opera, I will. Or entertain the thought of writing a YA? Why the hell not?

Of course, right now all of the irons I've got are in the planning stages. I'm unfortunate in that I can't do jack unless I've got my world-building mostly figured out, and the type of stuff I'm writing requires extensive world-building. This is also symptomatic of how my brain works: I'm the asshole who keeps poking holes in things and asking questions and tearing apart what appears to be a perfectly logical system, so unless I can come up with something that's foolproof for that part of my brain, I won't write, because I'll have to toss it anyway.

But the idea is this: once I reach the point where I can actually write one of these projects, and then another, perhaps the butt-in-chair sessions will start out with, "Which project do you feel like working on today?"

After all, what's stopping me? Well, there might be plenty in terms of how this brain works, but until I stumble upon such things, why not try?

Book List: 2009

2010-01-02T18:45:44Z

And here's yet another annual tradition at devilwrites (and at calico_reaction, so apologies to those of you who see it twice), and that's the final list of books for the year. Here's the breakdown:

Total novels read: 102 (Not as impressive as last year's 123, but still impressive.)

Total novels started but not finished: 6 (One of them I will DEFINITELY finish, the others, not a chance.)

Total comic books read: 10 (Didn't read any completed series this year, so that number's based on the books I'm reading as they're released.)

I'm pretty happy with the totals, considering that earlier last spring I wasn't in any sort of reading mood AT ALL.

Finished Books: December

Magic Burns (2008)
Written by: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 260 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Christmas List (2009)
Written by: Richard Paul Evans
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 353 (Hardcover)
My Review: Wish I'd Borrowed It

Liar (2009)
Written by: Justine Larbalestier
Genre: YA/Fiction
Pages: 371 (Hardcover)
My Review: Keeper Shelf

Skinned (2008)
Written by: Robin Wasserman
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 361 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Must Have

Darker Angels: Book Two of the Black Sun's Daughter (2009)
Written by: M.L.N. Hanover
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 360 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Declaration (2007)
Written by: Gemma Malley
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 301 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

The Last Unicorn (1968)
Written by: Peter S. Beagle
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 288 (Hardcover)
My Review: Must Have

Singing the Dogstar Blues (1998)
Written by: Alison Goodman
Genre: YA/Science Fiction
Pages: 261 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Skin Game (2009)
Written by: Ava Gray
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 307 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Oryx and Crake (2003)
Written by: Margaret Atwood
Genre: Fiction/Literary SF
Pages: 376 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

Finished Books: November

Give Up the Ghost (2009)
Written by: Megan Crewe
Genre: YA/Paranormal
Pages: 244 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Magic Bites (2007)
Written by: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 260 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

Boneshaker (2009)
Written by: Cherie Priest
Genre: Steampunk/Alternate History
Pages: 416 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Indigo Springs (2009)
Written by: A.M. Dellamonica
Genre: Fantasy/Contemporary
Pages: 317 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Ash (2009)
Written by: Malinda Lo
Genre: YA/Fairy Tale/Fantasy
Pages: 264 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Racing the Dark (2007)
Written by: Alaya Dawn Johnson
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Pages: 368 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Wake (2008)
Written by: Lisa McMann
Genre: YA/Paranormal Romance
Pages: 210 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Heart of the Beast (1994)
Written by: Dean Motter & Judith Dupré
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 96 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Stolen (2002)
Written by: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 468 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Bitter Angels (2009)
Written by: C. L. Anderson
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 438 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

Foxfire (Trickster's Game #3) (2009)
Written by: Barbara Campbell
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Pages: 628 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

Finished Books: October

Elegy Beach (2009)
Written by: Steven R. Boyett
Genre: Urban/Futuristic Fantasy
Pages: 375 (Hardcover)
My Review: Glad It Was Free

Frankenstein (1818)
Written by: Mary Shelley
Genre: Horror
Pages: 231 (Hardcover)
My Review: Glad I Borrowed It

Prospero Lost (2009)
Written by: L. Jagi Lamplighter
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Pages: 347 (Hardcover)
My Review: Buy the Paperback

Bloodstone (Trickster's Game #2) (2006)
Written by: Barbara Campbell
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Pages: 566 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Windup Girl (2009)
Written by: Paolo Bacigalupi
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 359 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Finished Books: September

Shiver (2009)
Written by: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: YA/Paranormal Romance
Pages: 392 (Hardcover)
My Review: Buy the Paperback

Doubleblind (2009)
Written by: Ann Aguirre
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 302 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Must Have

Victory Conditions (2008)
Written by: Elizabeth Moon
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 403 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Glad I Borrowed It

War for the Oaks (1987)
Written by: Emma Bull
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 332 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Must Have

Unclean Spirits: Book One of the Black Sun's Daughter (2008)
Written by: M.L.N. Hanover
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 357 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Must Have

Looking for Alaska (2005)
Written by: John Green
Genre: YA/Fiction
Pages: 221 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Hunting Ground (2009)
Written by: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 286 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Give it Away

Command Decision (2007)
Written by: Elizabeth Moon
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 364 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Ariel (1983)
Written by: Steven R. Boyett
Genre: Urban/Futuristic Fantasy
Pages: 435 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Sandman Slim (2009)
Written by: Richard Kadrey
Genre: Urban/Dark Fantasy
Pages: 388 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Finished Books: August

Sea Glass (2009)
Written by: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Pages: 379 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Must Have

Engaging the Enemy (2006)
Written by: Elizabeth Moon
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 398 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Elom (2008)
Written by: William H. Drinkard
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 117/542 (Hardcover)
My Review: Couldn't Finish It

Destined for an Early Grave (2009)
Written by: Jeaniene Frost
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 355 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Marque and Reprisal (2004)
Written by: Elizabeth Moon
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 378 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Eyes Like Stars (2009)
Written by: Lisa Mantchev
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Pages: 352 (Hardcover)
My Review: Must Have

A Grey Moon Over China (2006)
Written by: Thomas A. Day
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 411 (Hardcover)
My Review: Buy the Paperback

New Moon (2006)
Written by: Stephenie Meyer
Genre: YA/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 563 (Hardcover)
My Review: Buy the Paperback

Brand-New Science Fiction and Fantasy from Ace and Roc (2009)
Written by: Faith Hunter, Mark Del Franco, Patricia Briggs, Rob Thurman, Ilona Andrews, Steven R. Boyett, Julie Kenner
Genre: Sampler/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 134 (Sampler)
My Review: Giveaway

Unlocking the Air (1996)
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Short Stories
Pages: 207 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Finished Books: July

A Song in Stone (2008)
Written by: Walter H. Hunt
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 392 (ARC)
My Review: Glad it was Free

The New Space Opera (2007)
Edited by: Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan
Genre: Short Stories/Science Fiction
Pages: 517 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Buy the Paperback

Stone (2002)
Written by: Adam Roberts
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 338 (Mass Market--UK)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Libyrinth (2009)
Written by: Pearl North
Genre: YA/Science Fantasy
Pages: 332 (Hardcover)
My Review: Must Have

Blindsight (2006)
Written by: Peter Watts
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 384 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Homeless Moon: Imaginary Places (2009)
Written by: Michael J. DeLuca, Jason S. Ridler, Scott H. Andrews, Erin Hoffman, Justin Howe
Genre: Short Stories
Pages: 79 (Chapbook)
My Review: No Rating

The Homeless Moon (2008)
Written by: Michael J. DeLuca, Jason S. Ridler, Scott H. Andrews, Erin Hoffman, Justin Howe
Genre: Short Stories
Pages: 43 (Chapbook)
My Review: No Rating Because It's Free for Everyone!

Scarlet (2009)
Written by: Jordan Summers
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 292 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Waste of Time & Money

The Holy Machine (2003)
Written by: Chris Beckett
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 287 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Wish I'd Borrowed It

Finished Books: June

The Third Claw of God (2009)
Written by: Adam-Troy Castro
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 384 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Cold Minds (2008)
Written by: Kristin Landon
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 293 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

Peacekeeper (2008)
Written by: Laura E. Reeve
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 110/324 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Couldn't Finish It

Mainspring (2007)
Written by: Jay Lake
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Pages: 35/324 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Couldn't Finish it

Once Dead, Twice Shy (2009)
Written by: Kim Harrison
Genre: YA/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 232 (Hardcover)
My Review: Buy the Paperback

Pump Six and Other Stories (2008)
Written by: Paolo Bacigalupi
Genre: Short Stories/Science Fiction/Dystopia
Pages: 248 (Hardcover)
My Review: Must Have

Blood Ties: Book One of the Castings Trilogy (2008)
Written by: Pamela Freeman
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Pages: 471 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Exit Strategy (2007)
Written by: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 480 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Must Have

Norse Code (2009)
Written by: Greg van Eekhout
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 292 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

Santa Olivia (2009)
Written by: Jacqueline Carey
Genre: Science Fiction/Superhero
Pages: 341 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Keeper Shelf

Finished Books: May

The Forever War (1974)
Written by: Joe Haldeman
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 278
My Review: Give It Away

Singularity's Ring (2008)
Written by: Paul Melko
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 326
My Review: Worth the Cash

Gunpowder (2008)
Written by: Joe Hill
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 81
My Review: Must Have

Genesis (2009)
Written by: Bernard Beckett
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 150
My Review: Buy the Paperback

Hunter's Run (2008)
Written by: George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Abraham
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 288
My Review: Worth the Cash

Close Encounters (2009)
Written by: Katherine Allred
Genre: Science Fiction/Romance
Pages: 356
My Review: Give It Away

Sins & Shadows (2009)
Written by: Lyn Benedict
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 357
My Review: Give It Away

Generation Loss (2007)
Written by: Elizabeth Hand
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 265
My Review: Buy the Paperback

Speak (1999)
Written by: Laurie Halse Anderson
Genre: YA/Fiction
Pages: 224
My Review: Must Have

Storm Glass (2009)
Written by: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Pages: 488
My Review: Worth the Cash

Finished Books: April

The Forest of Hands and Teeth (2009)
Written by: Carrie Ryan
Genre: YA/Horror
Pages: 310
My Review: Must Have

The Convent of the Pure (2009)
Written by: Sara M. Harvey
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Pages: 138
My Review: Glad It Was Free

Blue Diablo (2009)
Written by: Ann Aguirre
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 316
My Review: Must Have

Those Who Went Remain There Still (2008)
Written by: Cherie Priest
Genre: Horror
Pages: 170
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003)
Written by: Mark Haddon
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 226
My Review: Give It Away

The Cellist of Sarajevo (2008)
Written by: Steven Galloway
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 235
My Review: Glad It Was Free

Fragile Eternity (2009)
Written by: Melissa Marr
Genre: YA/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 390 (ARC)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Finished Books: March

Bone Crossed (2009)
Written by: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 309
My Review: Buy the Paperback

The Watcher (2007)
Written by: Jeanne C. Stein
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 291
My Review: Wish I'd Borrowed It

Staked (2008)
Written by: J.F. Lewis
Genre: Horror/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 370
My Review: Worth the Cash

Better Off Undead (2008)
Edited by: Martin H. Greenberg & Daniel M. Hoyt
Genre: Short Stories/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 312
My Review: Wish I'd Borrowed It

Drood (2009)
Written by: Dan Simmons
Genre: Horror
Pages: 771
My Review: Wish I'd Borrowed It

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception (2008)
Written by: Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: YA/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 325
My Review: Give It Away

Finished Books: February

Kitty Raises Hell (2009)
Written by: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 322
My Review: Must Have

The Love We Share Without Knowing (2008)
Written by: Christopher Barzak
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 285
My Review: Must Have

War Surf (2005)
Written by: M.M. Buckner
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 375
My Review: Give It Away

Benighted (2006)
Written by: Kit Whitfield
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Dark Fantasy
Pages: 532
My Review: Must Have

Infected (2008)
Written by: Scott Sigler
Genre: Science Fiction Thriller
Pages: 339
My Review: Wish I'd Borrowed It

The Traveler (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1) (2005)
Writer: John Twelve Hawks
Genre: Science Fantasy Thriller
Pages: 128/456
My Review: Couldn't Finish It

Prime Codex: The Hungry Edge of Speculative Fiction (2007)
Edited by: Lawrence M. Schoen & Michael Livingston
Genre: Short Stories/Science Fiction & Fantasy
Pages: 205
My Review: Give It Away

Spiral Hunt (2009)
Writer: Margaret Ronald
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 307
My Review: Worth the Cash

Midnight Never Come (2008)
Writer: Marie Brennan
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 379
My Review: Give It Away

Thirteen (2007)
Writer: Richard Morgan
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 544
My Review: Give It Away

Finished Books: January

Evil Ways (2009)
Writer: Justin Gustainis
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 309
My Review: Give It Away

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand (2009)
Writer: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 282
My Review: Worth the Cash

Black Magic Woman (2008)
Writer: Justin Gustainis
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 317
My Review: Give It Away

The Tales of Beedle the Bard (2008)
Writer: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Children's Lit/Fantasy
Pages: 111
My Review: Worth the Cash

Blood Drive (2006)
Writer: Jeanne C. Stein
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 297
My Review: Worth the Cash

A Rush of Wings (2008)
Writer: Adrian Phoenix
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 90/404
My Review: Couldn't Finish It

Emissaries From the Dead: An Andrea Cort Novel (2008)
Writer: Adam-Troy Castro
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 387
My Review: Worth the Cash

At Grave's End (2009)
Writer: Jeaniene Frost
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 342
My Review: Must Have

Magic Lost, Trouble Found (2007)
Writer: Lisa Shearin
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 345
My Review: Wish I'd Borrowed It

As always, the reviews may be found at calico_reaction. Coming soon will be the annual top-ten list and the mini-review of the comics. Oh, and of course, a giveaway.

Music Mix in Review: 2009

2010-01-02T00:38:14Z

I kind of wanted to do something for music, as I never really talk about it. Like movies, I don't want to devote an entry to every single thing I listen to, so I think I'm gonna try a year-end list, like I do with movies, and see what happens.

But music's a more fluid thing too. For the sake of this list, I want to let you know a few things:

1) I'm no including music I haven't bought. In other words, there are albums my husband bought that I've listened to and have on iTunes (Muse's latest, as well as Alice in Chains), but haven't really had the time to process in terms of a listing like this.

2) I'm not including soundtracks, scores, or instrumental albums. It's just not a fair comparison, but I will list them at the bottom of the review if anyone wants to ask about them.

3) These albums may not have necessarily been released in 2009. This list is of the stuff I bought this year, whether they were new releases or not. There's plenty of new releases on this list, but some of it isn't. Fair warning.

There will be four categories, like my movie breakdown: Great, Good, Average, and instead of Bad, I'm going to have "Not My Thing." For me to actually think an album is BAD would be really surprising, and I'm the kind of person that recognizes everyone's got their own "thing" when it comes to music, and what doesn't work for me might be someone else's favorite album ever.

Clear as mud? Let's try this:

The Great

Allison Iraheta, Just Like You: Allison wasn't my favorite contestant on this eighth season of American Idol, but I loved the rough growl to her voice and she had enough rock prospects that I thought long and hard about getting this album. Her single, "Friday I'll Be Over U," is actually more pop than I prefer, but it's a song that's a lot of fun and gets stuck in your head, so I finally broke and got the album. Surprise, surprise: I loved it. It's pretty solid all the way through, with some songs purely pop (but always having a rock edge thanks to her voice), and some songs that are more rock, a direction I hope Allison goes into in the future. My favorites from this album are "D is for Dangerous" and "Holiday." It's just a fun album, and the songs fit her far better than anything she did on Idol, and are more age-appropriate, in a good way.

Listen to this: Holiday

Daughtry, Leave This Town: It took me a couple run-throughs before I warmed up to this album. Daughtry's debut was so rock-solid (pun intended) that the follow-up was just different enough to make me think, "I like the first album better." But it grew on me, even the country-tinged "Tennessee Line" (with background vocals by Vince Gill). "Traffic Light" I can put on repeat and listen to FOREVER (iTunes pre-order only), "Supernatural" is another one that gets stuck in my head, and "Open Up Your Eyes" is sad but has soaring vocals. It's another solid album, maybe not quite as good as his debut, but any Daughtry fan should be happy.

Listen to this: Traffic Light

30 Seconds to Mars, This is War: I absolutely loved their sophomore album, A Beautiful Lie, so when I first heard This is War, I was a little disappointed. Not near as epic, and it utilizes children's choirs, something I tend to despise. Then I listened to it a couple times (and I learned the "children's choir" is actually the recording of fan voices), and the album grew on me. I mean, REALLY grew on me. As in, I'll listen to it on repeat for days on end, grew on me. My first favorite was "Hurricane" (the version featuring Kayne West, which is apparently illegal, but you can hear it here), and then I fell in love with the current single, "Kings and Queens." Overall, I really enjoy the repeating motifs and Leto's soaring vocals. Sure, some of the songs feel and sound familiar, but that's comforting, especially those, like "Alibi," that are very U2-esque, but I wasn't expecting anything ground-breaking, and this album is just excellent. A Beautiful Lie might still be my favorite, but this one comes a close second of the three total.

Listen to this: Hurricane, featuring Kanye West (yeah, I know: Kayne's not cool right now. I've never been a fan of him, but this song is REALLY excellent)

The Good

Ilya, Leaving Sans-Souci: a random bit of trivia: "Sans-Souci" is actually the FRENCH spelling of my maiden name, Saunsaucie. It's pronounced the same way. :) At any rate, Ilya is an independent band that I first discovered at the Disk Exchange. They had Ilya's debut, Poise is the Greater Architect, playing in the store, and I finally broke down and asked who it was. I never picked it up, not right away, but I fell in love with the album once I downloaded it off of iTunes. I didn't even know they had a sophomore album until I was browsing online, and it took some extra research to make sure it was the same band and not another of the same name (I think the other band sings Spanish pop?). To be fair, I've only listened to this album once (something else came out pretty quickly and I just haven't gotten around to listening to it again), but I love this band's dark, noir-esque yet kind of jazzy sound. This may sound weird, but it just sounds like music the city would make, if it could make music.

The Average

Kris Allen, Kris Allen: Poor Kris. I think he's an excellent musician, but this album is just kind of meh for me. Now I'll admit, his kind of stuff isn't the sort of thing I normally go for (think of Jason Mraz, John Mayer, etc), so in that regard, it's pretty good, but it just doesn't stand out. It's one through two run-throughs on my rotation, and that's about it. I have grown fond of his single, "Live Like We're Dying," and his "Let It Rain" is really, really good. I'm just sorry that they didn't take advantage of his excellent acoustic version of "Heartless" that he did on Idol, because that's far superior to the version we get on this album.

Creed, Full Circle: this band used to be a kind of guilty pleasure. I've loved their work, their anthems, and the power of their music. But I felt pretty meh about this album, Creed's first since they broke up the band. The single "Rain" really didn't appeal to me; however, "Overcome" is pretty solid and does, on occasion, get stuck in my head. Yet, the album on the whole just isn't doing anything for me. Maybe I'm past my Creed "phase" and that's why, or maybe the music just isn't what it used to be. Who knows. I doubt I'll get the next album, but you never know. I'm always allowed to change my mind. :)

Lacuna Coil, Shallow Life: What a disappointment. When I first got into Lacuna Coil, I went on a buying streak and got EVERYTHING I could get my hands on. On every album, there's always one or two songs that I just fall in love with and want on repeat, but not so here. On "Shallow Life," everything blends together in a bad way, and the songs sound too similar. Too much of the guy (Andrea Ferro) singing instead of the girl, Cristina Scabbia, and that just makes me sad. Nothing stands out on this album, yet when I do stick it on my playlist, all the music is solidly familiar. Hopefully, their next album will work better for me.

U2, No Line on the Horizon: What a BIGGER disappointment! I loved How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, but nothing on No Line on the Horizon sticks in my ear. In fact, what I loved most about the album was the cover art, and that's not the thing I should love most about the album, you know? I'm gonna give the album a few more tries, but I think this was the biggest disappointment of the year.

Not My Thing

Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment: No, I'm not obsessed with Idol and its graduates, but I did like Adam, Kris, and Allison the best out of season eight, and I had to give their albums a shot. With Adam, I had a solid feeling he just wouldn't make the kind of music that would speak to me, and I was right. No doubt, he's talented and entertaining, and while some of the songs catch my ear, overall, the album doesn't make me want to stick it on repeat. There's a bit of a retro thing going on here too (as made obvious by the RIDICULOUS COVER, which was intentional, don't worry), but overall, the album's just not for me. Although, I'll give Adam some credit, I like "Music Again" and "Whataya Want From Me" pretty well, and the single, "For Your Entertainment," has grown on me.

Haven't Finished

Johnny Hollow, Dirty Hands: While I loved their self-titled debut, I just haven't been in the mood to give their sophomore effort a single run-through. I've got to fix that, but Johnny Hollow's music is such that I need to be in the mood for. It's not the kind of thing I normally listen to (it's dark and very atmospheric), but I will give it a full shot. One of these days. It's not them, it's me. :)

Instrumental, Soundtracks, Scores

Moon: Original Score
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Original Television Soundtrack
Lost: Season 4: Original Television Soundtrack
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4: Original Television Soundtrack
Caprica: Original Television Soundtrack
Twilight: New Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Jon Hopkins, EP 1
Jon Hopkins, Opalescent

Year in Review: 2009

2010-01-01T00:49:37Z

It's been a quiet year for movies, because Greg and I upgraded our DirecTV to the HD/DVR receiver, which allowed us to watch movies in HD on PPV, which was AWESOME. For the movies we weren't really sure about, or the movies that one of us wanted to see and the other didn't, it was a perfect solution, as the HD PPV version is essentially the cost of ONE movie ticket (a little less, actually), and we don't have to go anywhere.

So the list below is for theatrical releases. Below this list is the list of what I've seen on DVD/BluRay/PPV/DVR. Those don't get categories, but you're welcome to ask about any of them.

But for the theatrical releases, this is my yearly tradition: mini-reviews, short & sweet with no spoilers. Ready?

The Great

Star Trek: yeah, yeah, yeah, some purists are up in arms over this movie, and they think the science is B.S. Well, some of it is (red balls, anyone?), but some of it is RIGHT ON with current quantum theory that I applaud the writers for using for their reboot. Star Trek reboots the franchise while preserving its history, and it allows the reboot to go in any direction it wants. I'm no fan of the original (hell, I haven't even WATCHED the original: what do you expect from a girl born in 1980?), but I absolutely loved the cast and the solid balance of drama, action, and humor. The movie was better on second viewing via BluRay, and I'm looking forward to the sequels.

Up: this movie had me tearing up in the first thirty minutes. It's also the first movie I ever watched in 3D, and that, not Avatar, has set the 3D standard for me. Gorgeously filmed with a heart-wrenching story. Pixar had another home run, and it almost made me cry multiple times.

Moon: hands down, not just my favorite science fiction film this year, but my favorite film this year period. I was in love with the thing before opening credits were over. Gorgeous score, very appealing cinematography (just pay attention to the placement of the credits), and then the story had a lot of heart. Sure, I've read complaints about the feasibility of the plot, but for what it is, it makes sense, and it's fantastically acted. And there are some moments you THINK you know what's going to happen, and it doesn't happen that way at all. I've read that this movie is actually the first in a trilogy, and whether that's true or not, I can't wait to get my hands on this BluRay.

The Good

Watchmen: a movie that was a little TOO faithful to the source material, but it was very well done. I loved watching it, and reading the graphic novel helped me deal with the length of it. I will say I wished the movie was a bit shorter, as I think that would've helped the theatrical release tremendously, but that said, I still thought it was a solid film.

The Hangover: this came close to "Great" in terms of my ranking, but while I enjoyed the hell out of it (it was very funny), for some reason I just can't bump it up. Despite that, this movie is well-worth seeing. It's a fun little mystery with a lot of laughs, and Bradley Cooper looks freaking HAWT in his black suit. I've already told my hubby that if he ever has to wear a suit, he's getting that one. :) Seriously though, really funny, with real moments of drama. You really root for these characters, even the weird ones. :)

District 9: I really liked it. I loved the gritty elements, the portrayal of the alien father and son, and the fact that the main character really wasn't at all likable. This film honored several science fiction conventions without, IMHO, blatantly ripping them off. The only thing that's keeping me from bumping it up to great is that for a movie set in Africa, there's only one black guy in the whole thing who's a GOOD GUY, and he doesn't get near enough screen time.

Pandorum: pretty solid SF/Horror that just ran a little bit too long for my tastes. Still, it was a good story with some nice surprises along the way, moments that really made me jump, and moments that filled me with wonder. Fans of SF horror like Event Horizon and Alien should give this a shot.

Avatar: beautiful movie, and the 3D was done well considering it ran almost three hours and I didn't get a headache. Sometimes, I was aware that I was watching it in 3D, and I worry about how awe-inspiring this movie will really be when people AREN'T watching it in 3D. But what makes it good instead of great is the story. Too familiar, with characters acting too much like the stereotype, and the natives struck me as a little too stereotypically tribal. And even if you get away from that, there's the fact that some things just aren't utilized to their full potential, like the character of Grace, the scientist who came up with the avatar program. The movie was a beauty to watch, but story-wise, meh.

Sherlock Holmes: I've not read any of the Holmes stories, so I came into this with no prejudices or expectations. I found the movie quite enjoyable, and I really liked the dynamic between Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law's Watson. The movie ran a wee bit long, but I was constantly entertained, and I look forward to the sequel.

The Average

Twilight: I dragged chicklitter to watch this one with me, and the movie was enjoyable. But it was almost a TOO faithful telling of the book, so if you've read the book, the movie will hold no surprises.

Angels & Demons: I forgot I saw this film. Oops? It was enjoyable, and a far more contained story than The DaVinci Code, but it wasn't OMG!Amazing! either. Then again, neither was The DaVinci Code.

Terminator: Salvation: I loved the look of this film, and I rather liked Sam Worthington as the mysterious Marcus. But I wished that Christian Bale's John Connor was in it a little more, and I wish the movie had some of the anxiety that the predecessors had: like 'em or hate 'em, all of them were about fighting the future and using time travel to do it. This movie wasn't about fighting the future at all (let alone using time travel), it was about living in it. It had its good moments, but it could've been much, much more.

The Bad

Drag Me to Hell: this got SO MANY great reviews that my hubby and I decided to go see it. We like horror, right? Well, we don't like camp, and this was nothing but camp. I couldn't stand the heroine and wanted her to die, and all the horror itself was nothing but obvious special effects and/or hallucinations. Also? If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the ending. ANNOYING.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: I hate ranking this so low, because the first movie was a helluva lot of fun and the story mostly made sense, for what it was. This one? Too long, with more holes in the plot that swiss cheese, and worse, they ramped up the sexuality and profanity. A HUGE MISTAKE when you consider the first movie brought in a whole new generation of kids, you know? The special effects were great, but that's about all I can say for it. Also, there wasn't NEARLY enough Bumblebee.

The theatrical total is 14 movies, down just two from last year, which isn't bad. But the DVD/BluRay/PPV/DVR count? Comes out to a whopping 47, which is a great number, as any true Alias fan should know.

2009 DVD/BluRay/PPV/DVR List

Wall-E
The Godfather
Doomsday
Aliens
Alien 3
The Godfather Part II
Predator
The Proposition
The Day the Earth Stood Still (Original)
Once Upon a Time in the West
The Matrix
Gran Torino
Tropic Thunder
Sex and the City
The Doors
Superbad
X-Files: I Want to Believe
Transformers
Aliens vs Predator: Requiem
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Hancock
The Strangers
1408
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Halloween (2007)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Into the Wild
Skinwalkers
Max Payne
Rambo (2008)
Coraline
Taken
There Will Be Blood
The Mist
Resident Evil: Extinction
Quarantine
Stardust
Sicko
Star Trek
Fight Club
Casino Royale (2007)
Miracle at Saint Anna
GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
A Christmas Story

And that's all, folks! :)

Another Year Gone By, A Decade Gone

2009-12-31T23:32:30Z

It doesn't feel like the end of the year. Not really. And I kind of dreaded writing this post, because as I think back over 2009, I can't think of anything worth mentioning that I accomplished. All the big stuff? Happened last year.

However, I did accomplish one major thing that I didn't intentionally set out to do, not in the resolution sense. Last year, I weighed around 172, which was my heaviest ever, and as of today, now I'm 136. That's 36 pounds lost, folks, and that, frankly, is quite an accomplishment. It doesn't seem real either, until I put on clothes that don't fit anymore because they're loose, or I look at pictures from pre-2009.

So in that sense, I think 2009 has been stellar. I also like to think I'm a little healthier than I was. I've curbed most of my junk-food cravings (she says as her husband is making brownies, hee hee!), and I've told caffeine I don't need it every day any more. This is all good. It could be better, because I still eat stuff that would make health nuts curl into a fetal ball and cry, but 2009's a good start.

Writing-wise, I've disappointed myself. The urban fantasy that I'd planned on working on started out all systems go, and after a few weeks fell so flat I couldn't save it. So I turned it into a space opera, that I tinkered with before realizing I really didn't want to come up with a new SF world-building universe (because I must have my rules in place before writing: I must!), which led me to the decision to really focus on the sequel(s) for my thesis, Entanglement. The thesis is currently getting a fresh set of eyes, and I keep thinking I'm gonna go back to that sucker and re-write it, maybe split it into two books. We'll see. Right now, I'm trying to plot out the rest of the trilogy/series in such a way that I can sit down and just write it.

Of course, that's the trick: sitting down and just writing. And frankly, I've lost the love. That's a hard thing to admit, especially after all the time and money spent (still spending, if you look at loans) on workshops and grad school. It's not to say those were a waste of time either: they weren't, and I'd defend those decisions until I'm blue in the face. It's just . . . bad timing. I need to fall in love again, and I'm not sure the best way to do it (the first person who says to just sit down and do it is going to get a virtual foot up their ass). I think that's one of the reasons my reading has become SO RABID. I finished the year off with 102 books, less than last year's 123. I think I'm trying to find that love, that spark, and the only way I can think to do that is to see how others are doing it.

Then again, I also look at how much I'm reading and realize I might be overloading myself. That might be part of the problem, spending so much time in other worlds that I can't fully immerse myself in my own.

We'll see. I won't make promises for 2010 (other than to try to read more books than I buy), but we'll see.

But when I step back from 2009 and look at the decade, I have to say, it's impressive. In 2000, I was just starting college. Since then, I've got a bachelors, a masters, my first "real" job, my first new car, and of course, I got married. I finished writing a book this decade (which is nothing compared to some of you, but damn, that was hard work for me), and I've learned a helluva lot about myself in the process.

The one dark spot marring those accomplishments is realizing that personally, I've grown more and more distant from life (insert "maybe that's because you spend too much time reading" snark here), and I know it started when I was in college. Undergrad was a transition for me, and I'm still finding my way out of that transition. It's been a very hard road.

So what I want, not just out of next year, but out of next DECADE, is to find myself emotionally back on my feet. To be able to say I've really and truly enjoyed the years that've gone by, that I've felt something on the whole, rather than say I've gotten hard and brittle. I hope that this time in ten years, I'm living somewhere that doesn't put me on the defensive any time I'm out in public. I hope in ten years, I can look at my accomplishments of this decade and say it's nothing. Or, if not nothing, then it was a nice little start.

We'll see. Promises for next year though? Don't have any. My writing goals failed spectacularly, so I won't make them this year. And the one thing I DIDN'T set out to do, which was to seriously lose weight (if that'd been a New Year's Resolution, I would've failed before January was over), I ended up doing with fantastic success. You guys, I can wear clothes again that I haven't worn since college. That's no small accomplishment.

Sorry for being a little introverted and gloomy for this post, but it's the end of the year, end of the decade, and I feel the need to be honest. It's time I stop hiding behind perky, fake promises, and start being honest with myself in all matters of life. That, too, may be a hard road, but it's one I'm willing to take. I don't think I'll be truly happy otherwise.

But in happier news, Greg and I just celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary on the 30th, which marks our 11th year together. Truly, that makes me happy. It's a good thing to celebrate at this time of year, and we had a lovely night.

Happy New Year to you all, and may 2010 bring you everything you could want and more. :)

Book List: November

2009-12-13T02:27:23Z

Sorry this is so late, but this past week as been INSANE and I've not been in the right frame of mind to do much at all, let alone book reviews. But here's the list, in all of its glory. As always, reviews are always found at calico_reaction.

Finished Books: November

Give Up the Ghost (2009)
Written by: Megan Crewe
Genre: YA/Paranormal
Pages: 244 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Magic Bites (2007)
Written by: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 260 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

Boneshaker (2009)
Written by: Cherie Priest
Genre: Steampunk/Alternate History
Pages: 416 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Indigo Springs (2009)
Written by: A.M. Dellamonica
Genre: Fantasy/Contemporary
Pages: 317 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Ash (2009)
Written by: Malinda Lo
Genre: YA/Fairy Tale/Fantasy
Pages: 264 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Racing the Dark (2007)
Written by: Alaya Dawn Johnson
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Pages: 368 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Wake (2008)
Written by: Lisa McMann
Genre: YA/Paranormal Romance
Pages: 210 (Trade Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Heart of the Beast (1994)
Written by: Dean Motter & Judith Dupré
Genre: Graphic Novel
Pages: 96 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Stolen (2002)
Written by: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 468 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

Bitter Angels (2009)
Written by: C. L. Anderson
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 438 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

Foxfire (Trickster's Game #3) (2009)
Written by: Barbara Campbell
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Pages: 628 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Give It Away

Odyssey Writing Workshop: 2010

2009-12-06T16:28:32Z

Publicity Release
November 2009

ODYSSEY WRITING WORKSHOP
ANNOUNCES ITS 15th SUMMER SESSION

About Odyssey
Since its inception in 1996, Odyssey has become one of the most respected workshops in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror writing community. Odyssey is for developing writers whose work is approaching publication quality and for published writers who want to improve their work. The six-week workshop combines an intensive learning and writing experience with in-depth feedback on student manuscripts. Top authors, editors, and agents have served as guest lecturers, including George R. R. Martin, Harlan Ellison, Jane Yolen, Terry Brooks, Robert J. Sawyer, Ben Bova, Nancy Kress, Elizabeth Hand, Jeff VanderMeer, Donald Maass, Sheila Williams, Shawna McCarthy, Carrie Vaughn, and Dan Simmons. Fifty-three percent of Odyssey graduates go on to professional publication.

The program is held every summer on Saint Anselm College's beautiful campus in Manchester, NH. Saint Anselm is one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the country, dedicated to excellence in education, and its campus provides a peaceful setting and state-of-the-art facilities for Odyssey students. College credit is available upon request.

Jeanne Cavelos, Odyssey's director, founder, and primary instructor, is a best-selling author and a former senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing, where she won the World Fantasy Award for her work. Being a writer/editor makes Cavelos uniquely suited to provide students with constructive and professional critiques of their work. "I give the same unflinchingly honest, concrete, detailed feedback that I provided as a senior editor," Cavelos said. Her typewritten critiques average over 1,000 words, and her handwritten line edits on manuscripts are extensive. In addition, she guides students through the six weeks, gaining in-depth knowledge of their work, providing detailed assessments of their strengths and weaknesses in private meetings, and helping them target their weaknesses one by one.

Odyssey class time is split between workshopping sessions and lectures. An advanced, comprehensive curriculum covers the elements of fiction writing in depth. Students learn the tools and techniques necessary to strengthen their writing.

The workshop runs from June 7 to July 16, 2010. Class meets for four hours in the morning, five days a week. Students spend about eight hours more per day writing and critiquing each other's work. Prospective students, aged eighteen and up, apply from all over the world. The early admission application deadline is JANUARY 30, and the regular admission deadline is APRIL 8. Tuition is $1900, and housing is $775 for a double room and $1550 for a single.

Meet Our 2010 Writer-in-Residence
Odyssey's 2010 writer-in-residence, Laura Anne Gilman, is a former Executive Editor at NAL/Penguin USA and the author of several fantasy series. The sixth book in her urban fantasy Retrievers Series, Blood from Stone, came out in May 2009. The second book of the The Vineart War trilogy, Weight of Stone, will be available in October of 2010. Ms. Gilman has also written a young adult trilogy, Grail Quest; paranormal romance novels under the name of Anne Leonard; and media tie-in novels. She has co-edited a number of anthologies and published over thirty works of short fiction, ranging in genre from mainstream, to science fiction, to horror.

Other Guest Lecturers
Odyssey is pleased to welcome its 2010 guest lecturers: Bram Stoker Award-winner Michael A. Arnzen; World Fantasy Award-winner Elizabeth Hand; Gregory Frost, bestselling author and Swarthmore College Fiction Writing Workshop Director; Alexander Jablokov, author of six science fiction novels; and David G. Hartwell, Senior Editor at Tor/Forge Books, winner of several Hugo awards, a World Fantasy award, and editor of four Nebula-winning novels.

Odyssey Graduates
If you're reading science fiction, fantasy, and horror, you're reading the work of Odyssey graduates. If you've read recent issues of some of the top fiction magazines in the field--Realms of Fantasy, Asimov's, Analog, Weird Tales, Intergalactic Medicine Show, and Space & Time--you've read stories by Odyssey graduates Eric James Stone, David Barr Kirtley, Erin Hoffman, Clayton Kroh, Larry Hodges, Scott H. Andrews, Matthew S. Rotundo, Carrie Vaughn, Carl Frederick, and World Fantasy Award-winner Theodora Goss.

If you've been to the bookstore lately, you've seen books by Odyssey graduates, including New York Times bestseller Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn, published by Grand Central; Superpowers by David J. Schwartz, published by Random House; Dragonseed by James Maxey, published by Solaris Books; Foxfire by Barbara Campbell, published by DAW; Brass Dragon Codex by R. D. Henham, published by Mirrorstone Books; Written in Blood by Luisa Prieto, published by Allure Books; Kings and Assassins by Lane Robins, published by Del Rey; Evil Ways: A Morris and Chastain Investigation by Justin Gustainis, published by Solaris Books; and Sins & Shadows by Lyn Benedict, published by Ace.

Comments from the Class of 2009
"I would recommend Odyssey to anyone who wants to write science fiction, fantasy, or horror professionally. Your writing will make quantum leaps in quality during a challenging six weeks. Jeanne is a fantastic instructor and her experience as a writer and also as an industry professional come through in every class and critique. The guest lecturers and writer-in-residence add a fresh dimension and perspectives not only on how to write science fiction, fantasy, and horror, but also what it takes and what it means to be a professional writer." --Travis Heermann, author of Heart of the Ronin

"I've never worked with an instructor who was so dedicated to my personal learning. Odyssey is an extraordinary experience because Jeanne puts so much of her love of writers, the craft, and the genres into it." --Peter Simonson

Other Odyssey Resources and Services
The Odyssey Web site, www.odysseyworkshop.org, offers many resources for writers, including a critique service, free podcasts, writing and publishing tips, and a weekly writing LiveJournal, as well as more information about how to apply. Also available on the site is information about the Odyssey's new online classes.

Those interested in applying to the workshop should visit the Web site, phone (603) 673-6234, or e-mail jcavelos@sff.net.

December's Book Club Selection

2009-12-01T17:32:31Z

Over at calico_reaction, readers have voted for their December book selection, which is of the theme Classic Fantasy. And the winner is:

The Last Unicorn (1968)
Written by: Peter S. Beagle

I adored the movie when I was a child, and I'm thrilled to finally be reading the source material. Especially since I loved the sequel, "Two Hearts," to pieces. :)

Anyone who'd like to participate, just read the book! I'll post my review at calico_reaction on December 31st for people to comment, or at least, fill out a poll saying whether they participated or not.

If you're looking for links to buy the book or want more challenge details (and next month's theme!) just click here.

Anyone There?

2009-11-30T01:25:01Z

I've been . . . wretched lately. I fully intended to keep regular posts going at this journal, and that's obviously fallen by the wayside. Don't give up on me. I'll get started back up. I've just been distracted with life and reading and some such, and therefore have not been posting.

Hope those of you in the US had a lovely Thanksgiving and are surviving the onslaught of Christmas. Me, I haven't started shopping, and I don't feel bad about it either. Any of you brave Black Friday? How'd it go? Any of you looking forward to Cyber Monday? I know my husband is. :)

Anyway, all is well at the White house. I'm still here, so that's better than nothing, right? :)

Premiere: The Prisoner on AMC on 11/15 @ 8:00 pm est

2009-11-14T21:19:10Z

Remember my little mini-tirade about loving remakes but not wanting to touch originals? It seems this television season is ripe for that sort of thing. First there was the now dearly-departed Eastwick (told you, it'd get canned), then V, and now, AMC is releasing a three-night mini-series of The Prisoner. That's right: three nights, and each night is two hours. That's six hours of remake goodness, folks, and what an appropriate number, given the main character's name is Six!

Anyway, I first heard of The Prisoner during some conversation about the show Lost. Not the NEW one, but the original, and how it paved the way for shows like Lost to essentially exist on television. That perked my interest, but I had no real desire to see it, especially when I saw pictures. *shudders* Look, for those of you who are fans of the original: I'm sure the original is all very good, but I can't get past the look, so naturally, I'm looking forward to the remake.

First of all, it boasts some fantastic talent: Ian McKellen (of X-Men and The Lord of the Rings fame) and Jim Caviezel (of The Passion of the Christ fame). And the trailer/preview is truly intriguing, which you can watch here after a brief advertisement. I love the look and the feel of it, and can easily see how, if the original looked anything like this, it influence even some of the setting of Lost (the Other's village, anyone?). Also, I can't help but feel a kinship to The Truman Show, which I also adore. Plus, if it's SF on television, I'm happy to give it a shot, so you know I'm gonna be there with bells on.

Three nights. Six hours. I'm still debating on whether to watch it live (and DVR The Big Bang Theory and V to watch later), or DVRing the mini-series itself and watch it on my own time. I'm kind of leaning towards live, but if we DVR it, we could always watch it the morning after, since the hubby and I are on vacation. :)

We'll see. But I'm really looking forward to this (even though AMC apparently hasn't heard of HD yet, the bastards). How about you? Interested?

Overview

Station: AMC
Time: Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday @ 8:00 pm EST (two hours per night)
Status: Mini-Series
Where to Start? Uh, now? Okay, fine: SUNDAY. But start!
Website: http://www.amctv.com/originals/the-prisoner/

Progress Report: 11/8/09

2009-11-09T04:15:24Z

Project: Entanglement (SFR)
Chapters Edited: 73 out of 73

Things Accomplished in Fiction: Huge jump from last time, eh? Today was a football day, so I sat down with the laptop and just started plowing through the chapters. Towards the end, quite a few of the chapters get really short, so that helped too. Glad to be done though, even though when I converted the whole manuscript from Scrivener to an RTF document, I ended up having go through the manuscript and fix what mistakes I caught. And by mistakes, I mean line breaks that got ignored. That sort of thing. I really love Scrivener, but I'm still having lots of trouble creating a WYSIWYG conversion from one program to another, and having to go back and fix all those mistakes? A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. Ugh. I'm tired.

Reason for Stopping: I finished, yo! I was going to stop at Chapter 60, but I was so close to the end I decided to keep going. Tomorrow, I'll convert the file yet to a PDF to pass it along to janicu so she can rip into it, which I'm sure she's looking forward to. ;)

What's Next? Hell. I'm torn between the sequel to Entanglement and picking up my space opera, Black Ghost. Right now, I'm leaning towards the sequel. I really do like my thesis, despite its flaws. It'd be nice to move that story forward and bring about some kind of resolution. We'll see!

Series Premiere: V on ABC @ 8:00 EST

2009-11-03T17:44:53Z

I'll be honest with you: I've never seen the original V. Not a single incarnation of it. For starters, I was too young when it premiered, and even if I hadn't been, I doubt my grandparents would've wanted me watching it. ;) Be that as it may, even now that I'm old enough to know what the show is and what it means for the SF genre, I've never had a single inkling to watch it. I've got a . . . let's say phobia . . . of watching old tv shows and old movies, but that's an entirely different post. So what am I here to talk about?

OMG! I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT ABC'S REMAKE OF V!!!!!

You might ask, "But why?"

Well, for starters, I harbor a secret glee when the stuff from the good old days gets remade (most of the time. This, too, is a separate post). I love watching the horrified reactions of people when their favorite stuff gets updated for current audiences. Why? Because right now, I'm that current audience. I want to see how today's society, today's fears, can transform a television show (or movie). It gives me a chance to enjoy the original without suffering through the dated look of the original. So yeah, when remakes happen, I tend to be thrilled, especially if it's bright and shiny-looking like the trailers for V are promising the show will be.

Also? Elizabeth Mitchell (aka Juliet on Lost) is starring in this beast. Can I just say HOW MUCH I love Elizabeth Mitchell? More so since I saw an interview of her today on EW.com and she was completely adorkable (click here and scroll down). I want this show to succeed. I want it to be awesome. For her, so I can keep seeing her on my television screen, and because it's an overt SF show, and I'm always game for them to blow the ratings out of the water. Also, I'm excited to see Morena Baccarin (aka Inara on Firefly) in the show as well (I think she's perfectly cast for the character of Anna).

Don't get me wrong: this might COMPLETELY suck. I'm well aware of that. But I'm glad I won't be comparing it to the original. I'll be judging it on its own merit, and trust me when I say, I hope it's awesome.

Speaking of awesome, the promos ABC has been airing for the show featuring Muse's "Uprising?" BEST SONG CHOICE EVER. They did an extended promo (they're calling it a music video, but really, it's an extended promo), which you can view here.

Anyway, I'm to excited to sit still. Anyone else?

Overview

Station: ABC
Time: Tuesdays @ 8:00 pm est (they're airing a four-episode mini-series in November, and then the show will come back after the Olympics next spring)
Status: Season One
Where to Start? No time like the present! V premieres tonight!
Website: http://abc.go.com/shows/v

Progress Report: 11/2/09

2009-11-03T03:13:59Z

Project: Entanglement (SFR)
Chapters Edited: 35 out of 73

Things Accomplished in Fiction: Yet again, it's been a while since my last update, but I've now got a new computer and FAR fewer reasons to procrastinate. Well, far fewer GOOD ones, anyway. So fifteen chapters edited. I'm still liking it, but I'm starting to really see where this manuscript needs to be tightened up in terms of narrative, or maybe even broken into two books. We'll see.

Reason for Stopping: Fifteen chapters is more than enough for one night. I'm tired, and I'd like to get ready for bed and read for a little while. :)

Book List: October

2009-11-02T03:34:49Z

So it felt like I really didn't read much in October, even though the grand total was for 5 books. I think I felt that way, though, because some of the books really took a while to read, and when I don't get to read at light-speed, I get grumpy. :) Anyway, all reviews may be found at calico_reaction. :)

Finished Books: October

Elegy Beach (2009)
Written by: Steven R. Boyett
Genre: Urban/Futuristic Fantasy
Pages: 375 (Hardcover)
My Review: Glad It Was Free

Frankenstein (1818)
Written by: Mary Shelley
Genre: Horror
Pages: 231 (Hardcover)
My Review: Glad I Borrowed It

Prospero Lost (2009)
Written by: L. Jagi Lamplighter
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Pages: 347 (Hardcover)
My Review: Buy the Paperback

Bloodstone (Trickster's Game #2) (2006)
Written by: Barbara Campbell
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Pages: 566 (Mass Market Paperback)
My Review: Worth the Cash

The Windup Girl (2009)
Written by: Paolo Bacigalupi
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 359 (Hardcover)
My Review: Worth the Cash

November's Book Club Selection

2009-11-01T16:50:49Z

Over at calico_reaction, readers have voted for their November book selection, which is of the theme YA Authors of Color. And the winner is:

Racing the Dark (2008)
Written by: Alaya Dawn Johnson

The book's been compared favorably to Ursula K. Le Guin's fantasy, so I'm looking forward to it. :)

Anyone who'd like to participate, just read the book! I'll post my review at calico_reaction on November 30th for people to comment, or at least, fill out a poll saying whether they participated or not.

If you're looking for links to buy the book or want more challenge details (and next month's theme!) just click here.

29 Years and Counting

2009-10-28T01:31:49Z

Birthdays, for me, are a funny thing. I was born in 1980. My mom was born in 1960. We can both guarantee that on our birthday, the last digit of our age will be the same last digit of the year. So when 2009 came about, I didn't have to think twice about my mom's age: I knew she'd be 49, which meant that I'd be 29. The problem with my math is that I end up spending the WHOLE YEAR thinking I'm that age (my mom's birthday is in January), so when my birthday comes around, and I finally BECOME that age, I'm a little befuddled. :)

Anyway. Happy 29th Birthday to me. About a month ago, author Marie Brennan (aka swan_tower), put up an excellent post on HER birthday, reflecting on her accomplishments over the past 29 years. It was meant to be a positive thing, and it was impressive. It was also completely depressing, because here's a woman who's essentially my same age who already has four published books on the shelves and numerous short stories out in the wild. I was (and am) very happy for her, and then in the next breath, I cursed the way my brain functions when it comes to my own fiction.

But let's focus on the positive: what have I accomplished since my last birthday? Truth be told? Not much, but one thing big: I did finally get married. So that's something. I also took my very first REAL vacation that involved going somewhere with my husband that wasn't related to school or work. That, too, was awesome. I've come up with a new novel idea that I'm still wrestling with, and that's about all I can say on the writing front. Never let it be said that I'm prolific. I'm not. Not yet, anyway.

That said, life since I got my Masters in 2008 has been nothing short of routine. This is how time flies. This is how the days bleed together and you wake up one morning years later and wonder how you got to the point you're at. I don't want that to happen to me. Really, I don't. I want something to distinguish my years from each other, be it something big or small. And it's not like we don't have plans: Greg and I talk about the possibility (a scary one) of having children. We also talk about the very real need to move, and by move, we mean getting the hell out of Tennessee. I don't see any of that happening by time I hit 30, but I sort of see 29 as the year to figure out what the hell I'm gonna do when I grow up, if that makes sense. So by time I hit 30? I want to have a plan.

The birthday, aside from the delightful rain and my wonderful sinuses that combust to make headaches, has been really nice. All of you have been delightful, and my mom AND my boss gave me chocolate cakes. Yes, cakes. With an "s." So I now have TWO CHOCOLATE CAKES. Which is, of course, awesome.

Also awesome, and what I'm most excited about, is the fact I have a brand-new desk. I've been using an old student desk that belonged to Greg's older brother when HE was a kid, and it's been, well, unfun. So yay for a good desk!

But even better? I'll go into the details of WHY I needed this later, but this was my ultimate gift to myself: a new, 21" iMac. Trust me when I say, it was time. It's not here yet, but I received the notice that it shipped today, and I can't wait for it to arrive.

And that's my birthday in a nutshell. Oh! Except we went to TGI Friday's with Greg's parents and I got myself an Ultimate Mudslide. Which is, like, my favorite mixed drink EVER.

So here's to 29, and may I come up with some kind of game plan for 30. How scary is that?

What I'm Watching: FlashForward

2009-10-23T23:59:00Z

So when I first heard about FlashForward, it was a no-brainer that I'd plop down to watch. I mean, it's an SF show. Of course I'm going to watch. Even though I have personal reasons for not reading any of Robert J. Sawyer's work (don't ask), I decided not to let the fact that this show was an adaptation of his book bother me. In fact, even if I didn't have my reasons for not reading him (though that may change, he's got a title or two I'm interested in), I didn't even want to read the book: I don't want to have any clue where this show is going. I want to enjoy it for what it is, not what it's adapted from.

The premise is simple: at the same exact moment, all over the world, every person blacks out and has a 2 minute and 17 seconds glimpse into their future six months from now. The V-Day (Vision Day) is April 29, 2010, and when everyone recovers from their visions, the world's kind of gone to hell. Car wrecks, plane crashes, all kinds of disaster because the human operators blacked out.

Our protagonist, FBI agent Mark Benford--played by Joseph Fiennes of the Shakespeare in Love fame--has made it his mission to find out what happened and why. That's because his flash forward showed him working at the office, late at night, agonizing over a giant board full of photos and leads and clues. Of course, he was also drinking during his flash forward (something his wife has told him in their past that if he ever does again, they're done), and people are coming to kill him.

Other flash forwards: Benford's wife, Olivia (played by the AWESOME Sonya Walger from Lost (aka Penny)), saw herself with another man. Benford's AA sponsor, Aaron Stark, saw himself with his daughter in Afghanistan, but his daughter is currently dead. Agent Janis Hawk saw herself getting an ultra-sound, but the kicker is she doesn't currently have a boyfriend (she's actually a lesbian). The Benford's babysitter, Nicole, saw someone drowning her in a pool. Most interesting, FBI agent Demetri Noh saw nothing at all, leading him to believe that on April 29, 2010, he's going to be dead.

There's SO MUCH interesting stuff going on, and you'd think the show would have you at the edge of your seat. Well, it doesn't. Not really. I'm not saying it's not well done. Visually, it's great, and for the most part, the acting is solid (while he's pretty to look at and I like him as a romantic hero, I'm not sure I buy Joseph Fiennes in this lead role, which is worrisome). But I've got quite a few problems.

For starters, save for last night's episode, "Gimmie Some Truth," I'd get completely pissed off at a different character in EVERY episode. One episode, Mark was haggling his wife for sleeping with another man, even though it hasn't happened yet, and Olivia is clearly mortified by her flash forward. Oh, and Mark refuses to tell her that he was DRINKING in his flash forward, even though Olivia came completely clean with him. Another episode had Janis stubbornly refusing to believe in the validity of anyone's visions, making it difficult for Mark to work with her when he was following a lead. Then Olivia, because of her steadfast refusal to believe in HER visions, nearly gets a patient killed when she ignores the details of his vision and what that might mean for the man medically. Frustrating.

But also frustrating is the fact that so many characters are questioning the validity of the visions themselves. I mean, hey, I guess I can't blame anyone for thinking it was a whacked-out dream, but the circumstances surrounding the visions, the fact that everyone who saw something flashed forward to the same day and time, that's got to mean something. I'm ready for everyone in this show to stop questioning if these visions were dreams or not, and start accepting them as visions of the future, because that's where it's going to get interesting: how far will you go to make your future happen? How far will you go to PREVENT your future from happening? And what if, by trying to STOP your future, you end up making it happen?

That's what I think is the underlying, interesting core of this show, and once they let that shine, I think they'll have something nice on their hands. Because right now, save for "Gimmie Some Truth," we've been spinning our wheels. I don't mind the questions about fate versus free will and some people wondering what God has to do with this, but I want a sense of moving forward, even if it's for a single character taking steps to change what's going to happen (or make it happen).

Admittedly, it's the start of the series. It does take some time for shows to find their footing, and FlashForward has a lot of promise. I do wonder how it's going to last past a first season though: with the V-Day so close, they're either going to have to raise so many questions you'll WANT a second season, even though you've seen whether or not people's futures have come true (won't THAT be an interesting episode?), or there's going to have to be another flash forward, which I find probable, but I hope doesn't turn into a gimmick. If there's a flash forward every season, it's going to get a little lame, no? FlashForward seems to have a limited shelf-life in terms of how long it can stay on air, so I hope the writers are sensitive to that. Plus, you have to consider the fact that the show is adapted from a stand-alone book, not a series. And while I expect the show to take a different direction than the book (how disappointing would it be for people who've read the book to get the same exact cause in the show?), I'm having trouble visualizing the show's long-term prospects, even though it seems to be a hit.

I will say, too, that I'm worried about the show being a little too predictable. By seeing the future, viewers can start connecting the dots. I guessed that Simcoe might have something to do with what's going on before it was revealed, and I've got other theories too that could easily come to fruition. Maybe I'm spoiled by the complexity of Lost, but I don't want a show to be too easy to figure out.

One pet peeve: forgetting the book it's adapted from, I'm tired of seeing this show referred to as "time travel." SyFy keeps doing this, and it makes me bonkers. Based on the five episodes we've seen so far, I feel that Aaron Stark had the best description for it all: "We're all prophets now." Not time-travelers. Prophets. And until we do some physical moving forwards and backwards in time, I'm going to have a hard time swallowing that label.

Overview

Station: ABC
Time: Thursdays @ 8:00 pm est
Status: Season One
Where to Start? As of right now, they're doing a good job keeping newbies in the loop, but I can see this show becoming something that's hard to jump in the middle of. My advice is to jump aboard now and stay there, unless you hate it or are just bored. If "Gimmie Some Truth" was any indication, I think the show may be picking up some speed, and I'm looking "forward" (HA!) to seeing how it all plays out. Especially since Dominic Monaghan's (Lost, The Lord of the Rings) role is coming up, and he seems to be a villain!
Website: http://abc.go.com/shows/flash-forward

To Do List

2009-10-23T21:38:32Z

And I thought last weekend was full. This is getting ridiculous!

1) Write the review for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but do not post it.
2) ~~Create & post poll for November Book Challenge @ calico_reaction.~~
3) ~~Post thoughts on FlashForward @ devilwrites.~~
4) Crits for ~~digitalclone~~ and Dave.
5) odysseyworkshop stuff, including but not limited to, updating procedures, posting pubs/sales, and ~~creating its own very special photo album.~~
6) ~~Order my birthday present.~~
7) Update checking account.
8) Visit my grandmother and mom for some birthday chili on Sunday.
9) Possibly finish reading Steven R. Boyett's Elegy Beach.
10) ~~Post the latest "Book Bag" @ calico_reaction.~~

I think that's enough. ~~There's laundry too, which I should do Saturday instead of Sunday~~, but who knows what this weekend will bring.

That's my weekend, as of now. Tell me yours is more interesting!

Memories: Tinker Day

2009-10-22T23:00:37Z

My alma mater has a unique and somewhat strange tradition: one day in October, the president of Hollins University cancels classes and declares the day "Tinker Day." On Tinker Day, students are awakened at the wee hours of the morning by the seniors running through the dorms banging pots and pans so that they may stumble to the cafeteria in their pajamas and eat mountains of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Then, it's time to dress up in the wackiest outfit EVER (don't believe me? Just look), converge on the Front Quad, where after many pictures are taken and the President makes her announcement. Then the students hike up Tinker Mountain and eat fried chicken, do silly skits, and then climb back down.

No one knows when this day will be, except that it's in October, after the first frost. Today, alumni relations sent all of us an email wishing us a Happy Tinker Day and to encourage us to remember our college years fondly.

Out of my four years at Hollins, I only ever climbed the mountain once. My freshman year, I took advantage of the free time to go shopping (of course I did! I was a freshman then who didn't care about tradition). Sophomore year, I actually dressed up (there's pictures, somewhere...) and busted my ass up that mountain. Junior and senior years had me too busy with academics to justify the trip. I'm glad I did it once, but I don't regret not doing it every year. Like I said, it's a bit of a bitch to climb. :)

That said, I never missed out on the doughnuts. :) I was tempted to pick up some today, but today was one of those weird brain days where nothing's functioning and you suspect it's the weather's fault because it can't decide what temperature it wants to be. So no doughnuts or fried chicken, but I did remember, and I remembered fondly.

Truth be told, I remember what I did on those days when I didn't climb the mountain. Junior year, I focused my day on researching for my astronomy paper (which I ended up writing about Stonehenge). Senior year, I stayed on campus because I had a scheduled session with my accompanist, and trust me, when you're a senior voice major, you don't miss those chances to practice. Not if you want a decent recital.

It got me thinking about Ann, whose last name I can't remember now to save my life (though I've got it on saved programs, somewhere). It occurred to me today, though I always knew, just how freaking awesome she was. Our music program at Hollins was very small at the time, and Ann had maybe five or six of us singers, and when I consider I worked with her all four years, when I consider all the hours we spent together, even the times when I was having meltdowns over my major, I can't help but admire her quiet strength and patience. I mean, she had to deal with at most six of us per year, and trust me when I say we weren't always focused on our music. I reference meltdowns due to my major, but when you're in college, that's quite the transitionary stage of life, and everyone's learning and discovering things about themselves. And Ann got to deal with a slice of that, at least an hour a week, every week, for at most six singers.

Amazing woman. She had a son named Charlie, who was sharp as hell and adorable. Without her, my senior recital would've been shit. I wonder now if I thanked her, not verbally because I know I did, but with a gift. Something extra to express my gratitude. I hope I did. Because she was awesome, and she stood by me, even at times when I didn't want to stand by myself. And I really hope she knows that.

By the Cover: Stephen King's Under the Dome

2009-10-21T03:08:03Z

Okay, so technically speaking, I'm not a fan of Stephen King. A fan would have read most, if not all of his books. A fan would probably have at least watched the film adaptations of his books. Me, I've just read Bag of Bones and listened to L.T.'s Theory of Cats and indulged myself in various film adaptions like Shawshank Redemption, Hearts in Atlantis, The Green Mile, Storm of the Century, and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting. I've got a hardback copy of Duma Key sitting on my floor, a hand-me-down from a friend who read it, loved it, but didn't want to keep it, but I'm really not sure I want to read it. Also, my husband has a pretty impressive collection of Stephen King books on his shelf, but again, I'm not sure I want to read any of it. It's not that I dislike King. I like him, I do. I respect him. I even read his On Writing. But I'm just not . . . I dunno. He's not a must by any means. Merely a curiosity. :)

However, the cover for his upcoming release, Under the Dome, is SO FREAKING FANTASTIC that I might be tempted to pick it up. The premise is interesting. And both Amazon.com and Wal-Mart are selling the sucker for nine-stinking-dollars. You just can't beat that.

But seriously: LOOK AT THIS COVER!!!

Front Cover

Dust Jacket

I'm in love. I'm allowed to be in love with covers belonging to books I'll probably never buy, right? But for anyone interested in getting it for nine-freaking-dollars, here's the Amazon link: Under the Dome.