Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson - Sumerian Computer Drugs

Pros: Um...different.
Cons: A lot of little things (style, dated, abrupt ending, etc.)

The Bottom Line: It was an interesting book, but it's not as good after you've already experienced similar things.

For the May book in Calico Reaction's 2011 Book Club, Snow Crash got chosen. I picked it because it sounded like a good time and I wanted to read something by Neal Stephenson. Wish granted, though I'm pretty indifferent on the results.

I started reading this book late and actually only finished yesterday. A lot of times I had to force myself to pick it up and keep reading because I just wasn't all that into it. You know when you get a book that's interesting and has some nifty stuff going on, yet it doesn't do it for you? Yeah, it was one of those.

Hiro Protagonist (yep, that's his name) delivers pizzas for the Mafia and is the greatest swordsman in the Metaverse (think the Matrix...or maybe Tron). He's pretty handy with his sword in reality too. A new drug is circulating - Snow Crash. And it's doing some pretty funky stuff. Though he's not too excited about getting into the mix, Hiro has no choice but to deal with a wildcard guy named Raven whose brain is hotwired to a nuke, a Kourier girl named Y.T. who can skateboard (if you can call it that) like no one else, the Mafia, and an ancient virus that's about to bring about the Infocalypse. Heavy stuff man.

Sound weird? Well, it is. In the world Stephenson creates, there's no nations anymore - at least, not like we know them. Everything's run by giant companies and all sorts of weird stuff. The United States is pretty much gone, with land cut up into areas for everyone else like the Mafia, Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong, and plenty of others. Advertisements glow in your face, technology is everywhere and nowhere all at once, and generally it sounds like a place where I'd probably have to shoot myself. It doesn't sound like there's open land anywhere. Frankly, I kept wondering where people were getting their food. The whole place sounded like one bit city with tons of roads and slums and all sorts of junk. Overpopulated and overloaded. It sounds like the sort of society that, once it began, would only run for about 20 years before folding and collapsing in on itself. But I digress.

Snow Crash is sort of like a Dan Brown novel mixed up with Blade Runner with some crack thrown in. It takes technology and tries to blend it up with Sumerian theology and then some. While reading it, I thought that Stephenson must have done a heck of a lot of research (at the end he acknowledges that this book was really hard to write - which I believe). There's a lot of interesting stuff in there, yet I still failed to see quite how the Sumerian bits matched up with what was going on in the present. I mean, I know what Stephenson was doing, but I just don't see how it could work. I wasn't buying what he was selling.

Because this book was written in '92, there is some dated stuff in there. I found the timelines confusing, because people were in WWII and Vietnam, and yet it sounded like the time Hiro lived in should have been well into the 2000s. Instead it sounded more like he kept it in '92 - just a radically different version of '92. It didn't work for me. And I about keeled over when one girl said (twice), "Smooth move, Ex-Lax." Are we doing that? REALLY? Ugh. That was a stupid phrase when it came out. Why would you even include that in your book? And because I've already seen and read so many things that do what Stephenson does, even if he did do it first (or was one of the authors to do it first), the impact is lost on me.

I also wasn't a big fan of the style Stephenson went with. It's written in present tense, which is often reserved for first person "I" format. Instead, we're in third person. And it was almost like Stephenson waffled between the typical third person view and an omniscient style. It was hard to get into. Personally, I'm not a fan of present tense, but I've read plenty of stories where the author does it well. Here, I don't think it worked very well.

The beginning was a little confusing because of it - I didn't know if we were following some random pizza dude or the actual main character. Things eventually got more interesting, but it seemed to take a while for the story to get where it intended to go. About two-thirds of the way into the book things got a lot more interesting and I found it harder to put the book down. But then I hit the end and actually said out loud, "Wait - that's it?" I flipped a few pages to make sure I really was at the end of the book. It was really abrupt and I was still left with some questions. The sudden ending made it seem like everything that had happened wasn't really such a big deal after all. And it felt strange not to end with Hiro and use Y.T. instead.

It's different enough and strange enough with some great use of language and innovation to merit the four stars. Despite all my fussing, it is above average. I can't relate to people who loved it bunches, and in truth, the head of the Book Club herself kept falling asleep while reading it - which I can understand. It appeals to a certain audience I think, which is fine. So I do recommend it, but if you find you can't work your way through it, you might as well stop and move on to something else. But otherwise, you might end up falling in love with it. I did really like Y.T.....

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz

Purchased for My Shelf

Physics of the Future by Michio Kaku

A few years ago I spotted Physics of the Impossible, got all googly-eyed, and promptly bought it. So when I saw Michio Kaku had a brand new book with more science goodies inside, I once again got all googly-eyed and knew I had to have it. Full of all sorts of cool science (a lot of which is actually in the developmental stage - nifty!), you may have times where you sit and think, "huh?" but hey, it's bound to happen. It happened in Physics of the Impossible too. Some of this stuff is a bit out beyond my comphrehension, whereas other I have to exercise my already wild imagination. If you like science fiction as well as science fact, then this is your type of book.

Notes from the playlist: "Stripped" by Shiny Toy Guns

The Sea Serpent and Me by Dashka Slater - There's A Sea Serpent in My Bathtub!

Pros: Fun and magical, beautiful illustrations
Cons: None

The Bottom Line: A very sweet book to read to your kids and one that I'm sure both of you will enjoy.

The other day at work (at Barnes & Noble, whoo!), the schedule had a minor hiccup in it and my managers popped up, “Hey Nicole, how would you feel about doing Storytime today?”

Uuuuuhhhh.... I pretty much flatlined, but seeing that neither of them were going to do it and our scheduled Storyteller was MIA, I gave in. The last time I read to kids was...actually I’m not sure. I thought maybe when I babysat but I don’t think that’s right. Probably when my little sister was still little. She’s 21 now. Either way, I picked out a few books, and one of them was facing out and it caught my eye, The Sea Serpent and Me by Dashka Slater. How often do you see kids books with sea serpents in them? So I grabbed it up and sat down to read to the small gaggle of gathered kids.

I’m glad I picked that one. It was really cute and the kids seemed to enjoy it more than the first book, How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?. The story is pretty simple. One day a little girl is about to take a bath and turns on the faucet when plop! A tiny sea serpent comes out with the water! She asks him where he came from and he explains that a tornado sucked him up, carried him around, and dropped him in a lake where a pipe sucked him up and plopped him into her bathtub. He needs to go back to the sea, and she agrees to take him, but the next few days bring rain. The sea serpent keeps on growing and soon, he’s so big, he has to go back before getting smooshed up in the house! Except when they both get to the beach, he doesn’t want to leave...

I’ll leave you to imagine whether or not the two friends stay together, but it’s a happy ending either way.

The book doesn’t rhyme or use words that are too simplistic, and instead has a lot of fun ideas and imagery. I’m not sure what the illustrator, Catia Chien, used, but it looks mostly like watercolors, something I always have high respect for because A.) they look fabulous and B.) I could never make watercolors look good. They’re colorful and creative, and really nudges your imagination when the sea serpent tells his new friend about how big he’ll get, what he saw while being carried by the tornado, and what he sees in the sea (“Fish shaped like violins!”). It was so cute, and I love the way Chien drew the serpent, with the little fins on his head and his sometimes goofy smile.

I had a lot of fun reading this aloud and the kids enjoyed it too, some looking a little “Ooh, aah” at the pictures and others simply smiling and staring as I showed the book around. I asked them little questions as we went, “Do you think there are fish shaped like violins in the ocean?” or “Would you want a sea serpent to fall into your bathtub?” I got answers from most of them, haha.

I thought the end was particularly cute, especially when the girl gives the sea serpent a little kiss on the head. I almost wanted to go, “Aaaaw!” Definitely recommend this to adults and children alike (c’mon adults, remember what it was like to be a kid!).

“If you had a sea serpent, would you give him a little kiss?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too.” =D

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Song for Sienna" by Brian Crain

Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain - No, Not the Candy Kind

Pros: Oooh Gretchen is out! And hey, no serial killers! (er, apart from Gretchen anyway)
Cons: I’m starting to not like Archie…at all. And I don’t buy Gretchen’s escape.

The Bottom Line: Ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome? Yeah. Archie's got that. BAD. Makes for an interesting story.

Hmm. Apparently I forgot to write a review about the first book. Anywho, in case you're just tuning in, this is the second book in Chelsea Cain's Gretchen Lowell series. Gretchen is female serial killer who has a Hannibal Lecter-like grip over detective Archie Sheridan. You could get away with reading this book first, but it would be better to read Heartsick first.

This time around, Archie is brought into a string of deaths that may or may not be connected with a government official and a journalist. While trying to decipher all the clues, Gretchen Lowell escapes and guess what? Surprise, surprise - she wants Archie. Will he be able to face her and solve the case? Or will stopping Gretchen once and for all be the last thing he ever does?

First off, Cain gets kudos for bringing all the elements of her story into use. For example, there's mention of a forest fire a few times early on in the story - later on that comes into play. Each character is distinctive, and I really like Henry. Susan has her moments, but she can get kind of annoying at times. Of course, I have no idea why she would be allowed around in some situations, but oh well, that's fiction for you, right?

The murder story is interesting, and even though it had its flaws, I was glad for something different. I mean, if there's a serial killer on the loose in every book, well that's a bit of a problem. Likewise, since most serial killers tend to kill women (as with the first one - and with the exception of Gretchen), I'm just not going to read that. It's too creepy. As a woman, the idea freaks me out, which is why if I read anything with murder mysteries, I tend to want them on the stupid/fun/cozy side. The realistic ones only succeed in giving me the heebie-jeebies.

The main line - Archie vs. Gretchen - is what everyone reads these books for. Gretchen is one messed up woman. I wouldn't classify her as crazy. That's just too easy. No, her brain is wired differently. She knows what she's doing. But she doesn't see things the way most people do. Like Mr. Lecter as she is so often compared to (even by moi). It's a really twisted up game of cat and mouse - like if Tom and Jerry weren't cartoons for kids and did real damage to each other. Yeah. Messed up like that. It's interesting, but I do have a few qualms about it. First of all, I don't buy Gretchen's escape. At all. One, you don't move someone that dangerous with just two guards. Two, do you know what kind of weapon you need to cut off head? Do you know how much time and effort that would take? Sorry, but that's just not feasible.

I'm also getting to the point where Archie needs to either kill Gretchen or die himself. Not that I don't like Archie, but whoa is that guy scrambled. Then again, I guess I can't say he didn't try...

It's a good yarn if you like murder mysteries that aren't ridiculous/cozy/fun. It's dark, bloody, and with the appropriate number of decomposing corpses here and there.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein - Indeed She Is

Pros: A solid science fiction read
Cons: Not for everyone – a lot of telling/info dumping

The Bottom Line: If you feel like reading some Robert A. Heinlein, this isn't really a bad place to start, but you have to know what you're getting into beforehand.

As a part of the Book Club run by Calico Reaction, April's book was The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. I was all for it (and yeah, so my review is a tad bit late), and eager to do a bit more Heinlein. I'd already read Starship Troopers, so something else might be interesting.

To be sure, it was. Mannie lives on Luna (the moon) where originally Earth sent convicts (sort of like England with Australia). But over time, it's grown into its own little nation, but the Authority is still screwing everyone over. It's about time for a revolution. At first, Mannie isn't on board, but as the idea grows, it may be possible. With the help of a professor, an energetic young woman, a man from Earth, and a computer that's become self-aware, pulling off their revolution might just work and Luna will once and for all be free.

This s one of those SF books that you read and think, "Tee hee, the 80s" because there are clearly a few things that Heinlein didn't think ahead on. Mostly because it's hard to think so far ahead. I can't specifically remember what some of those instances were, but there were a few and it doesn't really matter anyway because, hey, it's Heinlein and you ought to know better.

What may turn people off at the onset of this book is that it's in first person and Mannie doesn't speak English in the way we do. There are a lot of articles missing, and initially I thought I'd gotten a bad copy of the book and whoever was in charge or proofreading should have been fired. Then I realized what was going on. Mannie has some Russian in/around him, so that's how I managed to cope. I started to read it and use a Russian accent in my head. Okay, so I was going off movies instead of actual Russian, but I found that it helped a great deal and after a while began to read quite fluidly. (And anyone who thinks it's too hard, try to decipher some of the tod's speech in The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams).

While I did enjoy the book, it did take some time to get into. It moves slowly at first, and it wasn't hard for me to put the book down. It maintained my curiosity though, so it wasn't too terribly hard to pick back up after things got interesting. However, at a certain point, there's no true action and instead we're pretty much being told the story by Mannie. Not as it's happening, but as it has already happened, which means no "showing" and a whole lot of info dumping. A lot of things in this book are the very same things most writers, agents, and editors today will tell you not to do because it turns off readers, plain and simple.

There are ideas in this book I found quite interesting, I liked how Heinlein displayed the role of women on Luna (there aren't many, so they pretty much have the run of the place in a way, and messing with a woman is an offense punishable by death), though I didn't quite understand line marriages. But that's sort of unimportant in the big scheme of things.

Bottom line, did I enjoy the book? Yes. Would I recommend it? Sure. But you need to either be familiar with Heinlein's work and/or style first otherwise you might be confused or turned off and possibly put the book down after a handful of pages.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Obsession" by Sky Ferreira

A Lifetime of Secrets by Frank Warren - How Many Secrets Can One Lifetime Hold?

Pros: A book you can't put down.
Cons: I've got nothin'.

The Bottom Line: More secrets for the world to share. They can even teach us something if we're willing to open up...

Back in 2004, a man named Frank Warren started the PostSecret project, a community art project that took in postcards from people of all backgrounds. These postcards, sent anonymously, all contained someone’s secret. It is now 2007 and Warren has received thousands and thousands of postcards all carrying secrets. What started as a famous blog and an art exhibit has transformed into four fascinating books, the original PostSecret, My Secret, The Secret Lives of Men and Women, and this book, A Lifetime of Secrets.

The central theme to this particular collection of secrets goes from the cradle to the grave. Secrets people have carried about their childhood, school, moving into parents, marriage, old age, death, and all that can happen in between. The secrets aren’t just notes on everyday postcards. They’re creative, unique, and utilize all sorts of mediums to tell their secret, from paper clippings and watercolors to yarn and staples, from personal photos and study notes to x-rays and crayons. Each secret is a piece of art in itself, and each one is poignant that may strike a chord somewhere inside you or make you giggle with a memory or simply feel for whomever wrote that secret, either in joy or in sorrow.

It’s a truly fascinating read and I read this right after finishing My Secret. I finished both in about an hour, but your time may be faster or slower. It depends on how much you want to examine and admire the postcards themselves or zero in on the secret you’ve just read. Here are a few, though it’s really best to go find the book at a library or bookstore so you can actually see the scribbled or scripted handwriting or pasted letters onto a sheet of paper or designer cardstock. The presentation adds 20 times more punch to the secret. Some I can’t even write because you need the photo or background to understand the rest of the secret, and some secrets are too deep even for someone to write down anonymously.

I wish my dad was still alive…so he could scare away the boys.

======

My mom had an affair with the first boy I ever kissed and I don’t know who I’m more embarrassed for—me, him or her. ???

======

I steal spoons from restaurants.

======

I stopped wearing panties to the office weeks ago. Work has never felt so refreshing!

I’d love to list more, but they’re all just so interesting. I’ll probably read this book a few more times before I have to return it to the library, and by then I hope the other PostSecret books are back so I can get my hands on them. You never know what secret you’ll get from someone, be that person a 10-year-old by admission or someone working to beat cancer or someone ready to let go of the rest of the world. There’s even a secret from someone who heard about PostSecret.com and slipped their own secret inside a book at the bookstore. I’d thought of mailing in my own little secret, but I think perhaps I’ll leave mine inside this book instead (or maybe one at the book store) as an extra bonus secret to whomever takes the book home next.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Airplanes" by B.o.B (featuring Hayley Williams)

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion - Mmm, Brains...And Love

Pros: Unique ideas, solid voice, I loved R
Cons: Nothing

The Bottom Line: Isaac Marion goes back to the supernatural aspect of zombies and takes it to a new and unique level. Bravo!

I don't know what it was that started the whole zombie renewal. It's hard not to notice when you work at a bookstore. Maybe that's just the natural progression of the supernatural world. Vampires. Werewolves. Fairies. Then zombies. I'd read books before that featured a zombie here and there, but I'd never read a zombie book. You know, all zombie, all the time. When I saw this advance reading copy in the breakroom, I chuckled and opened it up the first page. I kept reading. Then I hoped no one else intended to take it home and read it because by then I wanted to.

R doesn't remember his name. It's hard to remember things when you're a zombie. You groan, you stagger, and you occasionally eat people. Brains are the best part because when you eat a brain, you get a glimpse at what it was like to be alive again. But when R eats the brain of Perry Kelvin, something much stronger happens. So strong, he does something no other zombie does; he protects something precious to Perry - a living girl. Julie. From then on, they form a bizarre friendship that may, somehow, change everything everyone thinks they know about zombies.

I remember the days when zombie appearances were supernatural. Gradually, thanks to other books, video games, and a plethora of movies, zombies were the result of some virus gone wrong (or in some cases, right I guess). Ever since then, I've been in the grip of zombie condition = virus infection. Author Isaac Marion works to bring back that original supernatural power - a condition that we can't explain. In R's world, people don't remember what exactly made the zombies, and by the end, it's something else entirely anyway. I liked that. A lot. Zombies by virus are boring, but Marion creeps around and plucks out various ideas on how zombies might work, and whether or not the Dead can come back.

Because this is an ARC book, which means it's an uncorrected proof and therefore potentially unfinished, these might not be in the final copy, but I hope they are because I thought they added a really nice touch - images from Gray's Anatomy. No, not the stupid TV series. The book. Instead of zombie pictures, you get what we actually look like under the skin. The bone and muscle. It's zombie-like, yet not. Hard to explain why I liked it so much...it was just cool. It worked.

The relationship between R and Julie is interesting indeed, and one might thing initially Julie would be more freaked out than she is, but when you consider the world she's grown up in and what she's had to deal with, it worked for her. I liked R's voice and it was hard to put down this book. There are things that aren't explained, but they're the sort of things I'm okay about not knowing. I can see some people finishing this book and maybe giving it weird looks, but I'm glad this was my first zombie book. I had a good time.

Normally with ARCs, once I read them, I give them away or take them back to work. However, in this case, I can't bring myself to do either of those. I enjoyed this book and I want to keep it around. When it comes out in paperback, however, I intend to buy my own copy in order to support the author as well as own a copy that doesn't have "ARC" written all over it in permanent marker.

NT

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Skinny Love" by Birdy

April Book Giveaway Winner!

Well, I'm a little late in posting this, so if you were here ealier, sorry!

But I've chosen a winner via Random Number Generator and the winner is...

Teiira! Congrats, you get yourself a copy of Wither!

Thanks to everyone who entered! Keep on visiting for book ideas and of course, free books!

April Book Giveaway!

It's that time again! I've got a sweet little selection of books for you this time around. But I've also upped the entry fee.

This time, in order to be eligible to win a book, Tweet, Like, or otherwise link to this blog. That's it! Then leave a comment anywhere on this blog with a link to your tweet or blog or whathaveyou so I can take a peek for myself. Don't forget to include your email address in your comment so I can contact you in case you win.

I have seven books to choose from this time, but I'm only giving away one!

Click HERE for further rules and details about my book giveaways.

Here are the books available for the giveaway. They vary wide in audience and genre. They are in paperback format, except for Praying For Strangers, which is hardcover. Click the covers for more information about the book.



Think about which book you want and throw a link my way. The contest will end Monday, April 25th at 12:00am (central time). The winner will chosen via random number generator and be notified via email on the 26th. I will also leave a post announcing the winner that day as well.

Good luck!

Chocolate Wars by Deborah Cadbury - Inspiring, Sad, and Delicious

Pros: Fascinating read for history buffs, business leaders, and chocolate lovers
Cons: None

The Bottom Line: Even though it's a book placed in the business section, it's an excellent read for people who love chocolate, history, or those looking to make their business better.

This is one of those books that you see once and are curious about forever after. After that first glance, it randomly pops up and reminds you that it's there, and that maybe you should read it. But despite my ridiculous love for chocolate (and it is ridiculous), I couldn't get past the business part. I don't think the blurb on the inside jacket did this book any justice either, looking back at it now. Finally, though, I just wanted too much to read about some of my favorite chocolateirs, Cadbury and Hershey, and pulled it off the shelf.

I'm not just being cliché when I say that this book is fascinating to read. It begins year and years ago, in the infancy of chocolate when the Kisses and Crème Eggs we know and love today were as unheard of and impossible as dark matter floating out in space. Two Cadbury brothers struggle to save their father's failing business, which sells cocoa drinks to the people of England. You're transported to Vevey, Switzerland to watch as eventually Daniel Peter creates the first milk chocolate bar (I love you, Daniel), and Nestlé begins its rise. You'll spot familiar names such as Lindt, Tobler, and eventually the famous Milton Hershey and Forrest Mars.

You'll read how the companies discovered their own recipes for making milk chocolate, how they fared through two world wars, how they continued to grow and change as the years progressed and globalization became a driving force in the world. You'll know where Kit Kats really came from, and why Hershey produces goodies with Cadbury's name on it, and why I really, really don't like Kraft right now.

It's difficult for me to review this book because I really want to rant about how things have changed so much, and how a company 180 years old is now under the ownership of a big corporation like Kraft. I like Kraft foods, to be sure, but let's face it, everyone hates corporations and the fact that their CEOs earn millions if not billions of dollars each year when the people on the lowest rungs still make junk. Did you know the gap is now 344:1 when it comes to the pay ratio? And that was in 2007.

Indeed, a lot of this book was historically intriguing, fun to read, and knowing how awesome Milton Hershey and George Cadbury were is inspiring. I really wish the heads of businesses were like them, with goals and amazing selflessness instead of being *expletive**expletives* and seeking only to satisfy shareholders for the short term and focusing only on the bottom line. The fact that Roger Carr of Cadbury refused to pose for a picture shaking Irene Rosenfeld's (of Kraft) hand is simply awesome. My hat is off to you, sir.

It was still interesting even as I reached the end, though by then things had gotten sad. I almost wanted to cry, which seemed so odd, but what can I say? Knowing what I know now about the company, it was depressing to see it fall into such indifferent hands. I'd known that Hershey had their name on Cadbury's chocolate, so before reading this book I'd thought that at some point Hershey had bought Cadbury, which with their mutual goals would be fine. Instead I learned that Hershey bought Cadbury U.S., but not the entire company - that went to Kraft. And the way it all happened was just truly saddening. The way things work with shareholders and buying companies and so forth is a grand idea, but so many people transform it into a sad, flawed one. Do I trust that Kraft won't completely ruin the Cadbury brand? Yes. Do I trust that they'll run it the same way that George Cadbury would have and won't screw over a lot of people over time? Heck no.

But I'm getting off track. If you like history, then this one stretches from 1861 to the present (or as close as Deborah Cadbury could get before publishing this book) and takes an in-depth look at the creation of numerous businesses and the people involved. Some may believe that because a member of the Cadbury family wrote this book, it's going to be skewed - but in her introduction she states her intention is to be as objective as possible. I believe she stayed true to form. After all, with the truckload of research she did, all the proof you need for what's in this book is at the very end in the bibliography. As for business owners, I think it's a good look at what works and how a company can flourish by doing the right thing - and that doesn't mean just staring down at the bottom line. And if you love chocolate, then it's a great way to learn about your beloved food and the people responsible for its creation and growth.

I love chocolate. I've seen images of people cutting down the pods from the cacao trees and letting the beans dry out in the hot sun. I've always hoped that everyone involved with the making of such a great thing has a good time in the process (not always true, but I really want it to be and think it should be). Now I know the history behind so many of the chocolates I enjoy - how Nestlé kind of sucks, how Mars was kind of a jerk, how Cadbury was so instrumental to changes for the better, and how Hershey learned from Cadbury to make what they do today. My one hope out of all of this is that Hershey never folds and falls into the hands of some bigger company at the mercy of short term return shareholders and people in it for the profits.

So read this book and learn all sorts of new things. And Hershey, if you're reading this, keep doing what you're doing, and don't let what happened to Cadbury happen to you. Then I really might cry, for that would be the loss of one of the last great things in the world.

NT

P.S. I couldn't have picked a better time to read this book because Easter was the time that all the Cadbury and Hershey chocolates come out in force. I frequently read while eating Creme Eggs, Mini Eggs, and I even tried their Dairy Milk chocolate because I recognized the name from the book.

Notes from the playlist: "Derezzed" by Daft Punk

Recommended for Mythical Creature Hunters

The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures by John and Caitlin Matthews

Yes indeed. As a writer, I like to have good, solid reference materials right on hand. I got tired of surfing the web and sifting through all the junk to find reliable information - yes, even on mythical creatures. So I turned to the one source I knew wouldn't let me down. Books. After checking out several, I decided that this book would be the best. After all, it's subtitle is: The Ultimate A-Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic. Jackpot. I wish it had some images, but hey, I can deal without them. This book gives descriptions of the creatures, their origin, and where they're often found in literature or various fables. It's a handy volume for all sorts of things, whether you just want to see what other culture believe in or you're looking for your next magical beast for your novel.

Notes from the playlist: "The Face" by RyanDan

Recently Finished

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

I recently saw Angels & Demons again (the book was better) and thought I might re-read the book. Then I remembered it was in St. Louis with my sister. Then I remembered I never got around to reading The Lost Symbol. So that's what I did. While I believe most people would agree that The Lost Symbol isn't as good as Brown's previous books featuring Robert Langdon, it's still a pretty good read. In this book, Robert has to cast disbelief aside and crack the code left by the Masons on a stone pyramid in order to save a friend. With science, God, and a madman thrown into a mix, once again it's a dangerous combination and worse, he's only got until midnight. It does keep you on your toes, but does have a frequent number of flashbacks and a few writing devices most writers would shake their heads at. It's enjoyable, however, this, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason why writers should be given plenty of time to work on their books and they should be given the same editing attention as an author's first book.

Notes from the playlist: "Powerhouse" by Raymond Scott

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - THEN USE IT

Pros: Creative world, ideas, and hot dang if Ness didn't fail to kill his darlings.
Cons: It made me angry, angry angry and JUST KILL THAT PERSON ALREADY.

The Bottom Line: Viola is my frigging hero.

First of all, let me say that rating this book at Epinions was very hard for me to do. There were so many different elements of this book that did different things and made me feel various ways that choosing a final star rating was tricky. Obviously, I managed it and I managed a four, but for a while it was a three. I'll explain.

But first, a quick book sum up:

Todd is just like anyone else in Prentisstown. He can hear everyone's Noise - all their thoughts jumbled together. Animals can talk too. So it's all Noise, all the time. No room for privacy, for secrets, and definitely no possibility of quiet. Until one day Todd notices a hole in the Noise. A silence all its own. That's when it all goes downhill. Todd has to flee and it seems like everyone in the town is after him. He doesn't understand why, though he's quickly discovering that everything he knew is a lie.

Most of the time while reading this, I was angry. Angry at a lot of things. Angry at Todd for making certain (astoundingly stupid) decisions. Angry at other characters (and at the same time, the author) for holding off on not telling Todd the truth about, well, anything. Angry at the author for holding off on that truth for so long because by then a lot of people (myself included) had guessed it. Angry at one particular death that did, in fact, make me cry, and angry because one character who should have died very early on, did not (and the fact that said character didn't defies all logic, hence making it look stupid as well).

I do give props to Patrick Ness for creating a story that evoked emotions from me, yet at the same time, I don't think you want your reader sitting there angry for most of the book. It's becoming a particular pet peeve of mine when a character fails to tell another character something important when they have time even for a short version. Instead, they spend that time yelling at each other, things like, "You have to run now!" and "But why? What's going on?" and "Don't talk now, get your stuff and go!" etc. when all that needs to happen is for one person to say, "They killed your dad and now they're here to kill you so GET OUT." That is in no way related to this book, by the way. Pure example. Or when other characters think they have all the time in the world despite the main characters telling them they don't and they're clearly not lying. Drives me insane.

I also give Ness props for creating a unique world where everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts. You'll figure out why and where this place is etc. as you read, and it's an interesting story with even more interesting truths that appear later. Knowing that, however, makes it weird when something like squirrels appear. Are they really squirrels, or did the people there just decide to call them that for their similar properties?

And, while a part of me really, really hates to do it, Ness gets credit for having the guts to do away with the one character that made me cry. They say to writers, "Kill your darlings." And actually, it's almost not even so much the death as the way it happened that made me cry because I could totally see the look in the eyes, I could easily picture how it all went down and it just broke my heart. You suck Ness. But my writer side applauds you for your cajones.

However, I must take points away from Ness due to the other character that was like the friggin' Energizer Bunny from hell. For what the character wanted, the person made it a lot more difficult than it needed to be, but whatever. And I just do not, DO NOT believe the person would have escaped the very first time. I don't. Sorry.

I'd also like to say that people who refuse to kill people who intend to kill them are morons. I'm sorry, but if you try to kill me over and over and overoverover again, no, we're done. That is something that also drives me insane. Even more so when something minding it's own business gets killed and yet nope, we can't kill the other people because that makes us bad. NO. Sorry, but my personal philosophy just really gets in the way here and I ended up saying things out loud like, "I swear, if this person doesn't $#@%! die, I am going to be SO mad."

Ironically enough, the ending didn't really bug me because I'd read other reviews mention the, ah, abruptness, so I was easily able to guess how things would play out, abruptness aside. Still, if you want to know how everything plays out, you'll need to get books two and three. Will I? Maybe. It's hard to say. With how I felt about this one, if book two is anything like this, I'd rather not. I don't want to spend another four hours of my life being nothing but frustrated and angry.

So why, if I'm complaining this much, did I give the book four stars at Epinions? (and I apologize for the wild ramble)

Because it really is a good story. It's got a lot of cool ideas and things going on. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, and Ness gets his characters to do things that make you react and he really knows how to make bad guys that you really hope die in painful ways. As a writer, he makes some bold choices that can easily have readers loving him or hating him. The style of the book is in Todd's voice, which includes slang, present tense, and, of course, Noise. It's risky, but he pulls it off. And I'm only one person. Even though I spent most of my time being mad, I know a lot of people will react in different ways, so I like to step back and take a look at it as objectively as I can (also why I didn't write the review the same day I finished the book). In that respect, it is a four star book.

Do give it a try if you like speculative fiction, teen dystopia, or some of Ness's ideas. Whether or not you'll want to move on to the next few books will all depend upon how you feel about this one.

NT

And yes. Viola is my frigging hero in this book. THANK YOU.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that Ness did a good job with Todd's dog, Manchee. At first I gave a lot of credit to dogs, thinking that they'd have maybe a bit more to say, but then realized after thinking about my own dog, they very well may not. After all, I've even pictured what my dog thinks when we play with him - his little brain with a ticker tape machine going:

Ball! Ballballballballballballballballballballballballballballballballball...

Originally posted on Epinions.com

Notes from the playlist: "Carnival of Rust" by Poets of the Fall

Recommended for Libyrinthians and More

The Boy From Ilysies by Pearl North

The second book to Libyrinth, this one is even wilder with all sorts of twists and turns going on, from cultural clashes to scheming queens, technologically advanced/magic pens and what it means to change. This is a teen book that has a lot going on and takes all your attention. You'll keep reading it even when you figure you should probably go to bed since you have to get up early the next day, but hey, it's worth it. It picks up right where Libyrinth left off, with a boy named Po who has to figure out how he fits into the new world they've made and how he can help save the entire Libyrinth. No pressure, right?

Read the Epinions review here!


Notes from the playlist: "Streets of Gold" by 3OH!3

Recommended for Collectors and Shakespearians

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Yes. I'm one of those people who decided to buy the entire works of William Shakespeare, sonnets, plays, and all. But why not? I love some of his plays - Julius Caesar is a personal favorite. And there are several I never had the chance to read and some English classes I took buchered them (I'd looked forward to reading MacBeth for the longest time, only to have it ruined). So I wanted the chance to read them and enjoy them on my own. Barnes & Noble offers this sweet leatherbound version for only $20 that I snatched up during a shopping spree one year. It's not abridged or otherwise messed with, but if you want footnotes and translations, you'll have to turn elsewhere. After all, this is all of Shakespeare's work - there's no room for anything extra.

It's also a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a bunch of single books - especially if you're in college (the only snag is those professors with their "preferred" books).


Notes from the playlist: "Like the Sun" by RyanDan

Recommended for Readers of the Future

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Unlike most books that catch my fancy, this one actually had to work at it. But it was in a dump (re: cardboard display) near the front and so I always saw it. The cover really is nice, and eventually I snuck a few peeks. Eventually I discovered that after all the rationalizing in my head I'd done about why I didn't want to read this book, I really ought to read this book. So I did. And I enjoyed. Very much. Amy is set to be cryogenically frozen for 300 years, but is awoken 50 years too early - and not by accident. Someone is killing the other frozens, and the only one that can help her is Elder, a boy set to take control of the ship. But everything on the ship seems to be fashioned from lies. Amy knows she can't trust anything - maybe not even Elder. There's a lot to be enjoyed here, so if you haven't visited a spaceship in a while, now is the time to do it.

Read the Epinions review here!


Notes from the playlist: "Major Tom" by Shiny Toy Guns

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler

After The Curse of Chalion, our next Calico Reaction's 2011 Book Club book ended up to be Octavia E. Butler's Fledgling. Butler is yet another author that falls into the I-should-have-read-by-now category. So even though a large part of me was busy thinking, "Aw man, a vampire book? I don't want to read a vampire book - I'm so sick of vampires!" another part of me thought, "Well, it's Octavia Butler - maybe this will be interesting."

Interesting is what it was. Satisfying, not quite. It almost ended up in the same place as The Curse of Chalion in terms of how I felt about it. However, there was a bit more excitement, a lot more tension during the second half of the book (and closer to the end), and I really liked Shori, the main character. Here's a quick synopsis:

After a horrific attempt on her life, Shori awakens in a cave with no memory of what has happened to her. What she soon discovers is that the small community she lived in was destroyed and that she is 53-year old vampire. But as she tries to rebuild her life in a way that feels right, plenty of questions remain. Who is responsible for the attack? Will her memory return? Will she be able to protect those around her who are willing to help? And most important of all - will the killers try again?

Because of the synopsis, I thought this book would be a bit more exciting than it actually was. Instead it had its ups and downs, and I've decided this book requires me to split them up so I don't get all muddled as I type.

The Good

Shori. I liked her. A lot. And I liked Wright, her "first" (or I occasionally thought of him as her chevalier - too much Blood anime I guess). In a nutshell, when people are bitten, they're keen on sticking around said vampire. What I thought was really impressive - and I think this is just because it's so unexpected and different - is that Shori and Wright hook up several times. Now, some people will have a problem with this because even though Shori is 53 years old, she essentially has the body of a child. Normally that would be creepy, but the way Shori acts and talks, it's fine. The simple fact that Butler pulled it off is awesome.

I also enjoyed the way Butler crafted her vampires. She stuck with some of the old legends, such as sunlight doing harm, having to sleep during the day, and the pale skin and lean look. But she also gave them a different angle, putting them in interesting little communities and with a whole cultural way of working. It wouldn't surprise me if Butler has done research in anthropology. Because her vampires weren't exactly the traditional type as we think of them, it made for a nice difference. And no, none of them were sparkly.

She also gets points for killing a single person. Why? Because I never, ever saw that one coming. When it did, I was really bummed and really hoped that Shori would get her revenge because geez, the poor girl needed it.

The Not-So-Cool

When I reached the halfway point in the book, I was starting to get bored. It's actually a rather fast read (done in two days), but when you go so long without anything that feels like serious progress, you can get impatient. You want to know who's doing the killing. You want to know why. But first you have to go looking for more vampires that might be able to help. While it is necessary, it's a pain because you're so far in, you're ready for a few clues or something as to what the heck is going on.

When you do discover who is doing it, there is no big reveal. It's more like, "Hm. Those guys are doing it. Guess we'd better do something about that." There's no get up and go. There are phone calls to be made. A council to be had. And while I admit the council proceedings were interesting, I object to a few things.

First, one vampire Shori talks to claims that their Council of Judgment is better and more effective than human trials. Then he explains them. And they sounded exactly the same. He claimed that human trials are a "game" and the truth can easily go unpunished or overlooked. And yet, when the Council reaches its judgment, I immediately thought, "Bullsh*t." There you have vampires who were hundreds of years old, knew for a fact who was lying, and yet still ignored those facts. That ticked me off. It made them look exactly like the humans that some of them disliked so much - arrogant, shameful, and extremely stupid. I think some of the other vampires should have called them on it.

I was also highly displeased with the verdict and the way the book ended. If you don't want to know, skip to the last paragraph. I'm not going to give away details, but the gist might be enough to ruin it for you. Essentially it went: "Well, you've murdered a whole bunch of vampires and their humans, thus killing maybe 100 people, but we're going to leave you alive with only your word that you won't try to kill Shori and everyone around her. For a fourth time." Boo! Hiss!

The way this book ended just made me think, "So...that's it? Um, is there another book?" (there isn't) I literally made a face once I closed it.

Overall

It was interesting, and had several high points. I enjoyed the characters and the emotion that Butler brought onto the pages. But the ending annoyed me and left me rather unsatisfied. I'm sure other people will feel differently though - it's one of those sorts of books where everyone will have a different take. This book is a tricky one when it comes to giving it a star count. I think in the end, due almost wholly to its anticlimactic ending, it's a solid 3.5 star book.

NT

Would I read another Octavia E. Butler book? Sure I might. But if the second one I read ended anything like this one, I think I would have to be done.

Originally posted on Epinions.com


Notes from the playlist: "If I Was Your Vampire" by Marilyn Manson

February Book Giveaway Winners!

Wow! After a stunning (at least to me) number of entries, the time has finally come for me to announce the winner of the I Am Number Four ARC. I honestly wanted to go out and buy another copy as a surprise for a second winner, but I just don't make enough to justify dropping money on random books for people the way I can for a bit of shipping (as much as I'd love to. You'd think with all the stupid ads I have on this blog, I would, but the truth is that these ads have actually made me ZERO dollars so, psh).

I'm always delighted to see comments on my blogs and loved the enthusiasm so many of you had. I even had a few favorites:

Manu - for calling me "buddy" (I'm a girl, but high-five anyway)
Anonymous @2:10 - for noticing pracitically no one commented anywhere else on this blog (I know...aww)
Another Anonymous - who actually DID comment somewhere else (under the Lord of the Rings post) and made it a nice long comment too. :)

Anyway, after using a random number generator, the winner is.....

I Am Number Four!

Iris! Contratulations! Hope you like the book!

If you didn't win, better luck next time ("Next time?" you ask)! Yep, you never know what books I might be giving away. If you have any genres you'd like to see or authors you hope we get ARCs of, feel free to let me know and I'll keep an eye out for them. Until next month!

Purchased for My Shelf

The Elements by Theodore Gray

The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe is the official title of this awesome book. Theodore Gray is a collector of elements and has put together this book with excellent pictures and information. That's right - Gray actually collects elements in their pure forms, from Argon to Zinc, Boron to Xenon. Bulbs of oxygen and chunks of germanium. When you were in chemistry class, the elements were never this fun (unless, of course, you were setting magnesium on fire or had a teacher cool enough to throw sodium into a lake). It's a nice hardcover book with pages done in black at about $35. The Barnes & Noble edition of this book (which is what I have because after Christmas this baby went on sale - whoohoo!) contains a DVD with some neat goodies on it as well. Have kids that don't like chemistry? Show them this. Just want a really sweet compendium of the elements for reference or for fun like me? Here you go.


Notes from the playlist: "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Bublé

Recommended for Caldecott Award Readers

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears by Vera Aardema

This is another book that I'm sort of surprised took me so long to recommend. I remember this book from when I was a kid - and now I'm 27! It's pretty impressive when a book can stay with you for that long. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears is a tale of exactly that. It's a West African tale explaining why mosquitoes do that annoying buzzing in your ear. It all starts off with a story the mosquito tries to tell the iguana and sets off a chain reaction of events that ends with Mother Owl refusing to wake up the sun. It will take King Lion to sort all this out. I think these tales are fun (I'm also a fan of the story of how the zebra got his stripes) and kids will like the bright colors of the illustrations, which is exactly what helped it land the Caldecott award in 1976. Probably not a story kids have heard before - so why not try something different?


Notes from the playlist: "Tourniquet" by Evanescence

FEBRUARY BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Yep, it's that time again. Time for a book you can get for free without lifting a finger (ok, well, you'll have to lift a few fingers in order to comment, but it's a lot better than forking over some dough!) So what do I have for you this time?

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Why not read the book before you go see the movie? There were nine of them...but someone or something is systematically hunting them all down. They are all that is left standing between humanity and ruination. Three are dead. Number four is left - and next in line to die.

I thought maybe I'd chuck this one out there since the movie is due out the 18th. I also thought it was pretty impressive that this book got picked up so quickly to be turned into a movie. Some books take decades before they're noticed by Hollywood. I Am Number Four has been out 6 months, tops. And I think even that is stretching it. They sent the ARC (advance reading copy) to our store and I took one look at it and thought, "Ooh." Now I'll pass it on to you.

All you have to do is comment. Anywhere on this blog. Be sure to include your email address or some way for me to contact you if you've won. The contest will run until February 22nd, which gives you time to see the movie if you're the type that likes to do that before reading the book.

**Note: Please understand that because this ARC came through my place of work, in order to keep people from reselling them, the edges of the book have been marked (the way libraries or publishers do with remainder books) with "ARC." If you like your ARCs completely clean, it's best not to enter this contest. :)

Haven't seen the trailer for I Am Number Four yet? Well then, here you go!

This is the new cover the book has recently been released with. The copy you receive will be paperback and be the image at the beginning of this post.

Recently Finished (and Recommended)

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

Yes! The final installment of the Fever Series has arrived! Actually, it arrived back in January, and I actually finished it a week or so ago, but who cares? It's a great finish to the series. Though I personally felt some of it could easily be cut out to help speed the book along and Mac started to really annoy me at several instances, as a whole it's satisfying. It wraps up every loose end, and while one or two tiny things still hang out there, it's okay to let them go for now since they're not imperative to know. Even if you aren't interested in the series, go to your local bookstore and check out the cover simply because it's gorgeous. Once I finished the book and closed it, I stared at the cover before laughing. Now I know what it's meant to look like. Nice.

Check out the rest of the Fever Series:
Darkfever
Bloodfever
Faefever
Dreamfever

Notes from the playlist: "Time" by Hans Zimmer

Recommended So People Never Forget

Night by Elie Wiesel

This is one book that everyone should read if they've never read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. And then you should read that too. Night is a true story, experienced by Elie Wiesel, about the horrors of enduring the holocaust. In 1944, he and his family were taken to the now infamous concentration camp at Auschwitz. It's a short, gripping story. Elie watches his family die and tries to understand the evils that man is capable of, all while doing everything in his power to survive. Not only does Elie offer the events of that horrific time, but also posits questions and thoughts that will have you thinking, wondering, and perhaps delivering insight you've never had before. If you want something real and powerful, this is it.

Notes from the playlist: "Psychological Recovery...6 Months" by Hans Zimmer

The Curse of Chalion

Many people I know might have thought that, being that I'm a fan of fantasy, I would have read work by Lois McMaster Bujold already.  Or at least, the people who might know who she is.  Big in the fantasy and science fiction world of novels, I've known her name for a long time, but never read anything.  Then I joined in on the Calico Reaction 2011 Book Club because I was starting to run out of book ideas and thought it might be fun to read something I might not pick up otherwise.

January's selection ended up being The Curse of Chalion.  Carazil, a soldier who has long since seen his days of death and pain, stumbles back to his home, hoping for a simple life and easy days.  But Carazil is instead given to the young Royesse Iselle to be her tutor.  That means eventually going to the court of Cardegoss, the one place he would prefer never to visit again.  As court politics unfold and old enemies reappear uglier than ever, Carazil is forced to make choices of life and death, discovering not only the curse that lies upon Iselle and her entire royal family, but that he is something vastly important in the world of both men and gods.

To be blunt, this book was interesting.  Understand that interesting is not necessarily the same as engrossing or couldn't-put-it-down.  The book moves at an easy pace, which actually matches well with Carazil's character.  You like the guy, and it's frustrating to wait alongside him and watch as he deals with all the court politics that flow through the kingdom.  And that's what most of the book is.  Hanging out with Carazil while he walks Iselle through dangerous influential people and teaches her how to survive in such a world.  It isn't exciting, and there are only a handful of moments when the tension truly ratchets up.

This is a difficult book for me to really describe, something that doesn't happen often.  The story was interesting, the characters had a realistic ring to them, it was easy to sink into the events, you were indeed happy when certain people died, grew impatient for others to stand up for themselves, or for certain characters to kick the bucket.  I generally hate politics of any kind, and I tended to teeter on a knife's edge when it came to being interested in things that were going down and getting irritated with the entire situation.

I read along in a way that one might read a history textbook - and it's history you actually don't mind reading about.  It's not enthralling, but it's, well, interesting.  *shrug*  That truly is the best I can do in describing how I feel about this book.

As for other things, I did like that the five deities weren't just there for religion's sake and actually had a few hands in several things.  I particularly liked the inclusion of a god dubbed the Bastard.  I thought that was a pretty cool concept on Bujold's part.  Bujold also gets a high five for her strong female characters.  Every one of them.

On the flip side, by page 400 I was waiting for something - anything - to happen.  For Carazil to die.  For him to not die.  For Jironal to die.  For the curse to be lifted and the book to end.  And then after I got my resolutions, the book kept going and I got impatient as to what else had to happen for things to finally be finished.  You know, when you flip to the end and look at the page number and think, "Man...I still have 20 pages to go?  What the heck else is there?"

I also had a small issue with the names and titles and the way Bujold went about them.  Everybody was "dy" something.  Men.  Women.  Ser dy Ferrej.  Lupe dy Carazil.  Castillar dy Carazil.  Lady dy Huelter.  Those two Carazils are the same main character, by the way.  And much of the time I had no idea what the titles meant.  What's the difference between March and Castillar?  It took some time to get used to, and what really sucked was when two brothers made their appearance on the page.  Jironal.  Half the time I had no idea who was who or who had what title.  It made everything so much easier when someone died off.  A neat system, but confusing to a newcomer.  Oh, and a map would have been awesome.

So, all in all, good.  Not amazing for me, but I wasn't bored and overall it was a good read.  Will I read more of Bujold?  Perhaps.  Will I read the second book of Chalion?  No.  I have other things I'm much more interested in.

NT


Notes from the playlist: "The Death of Queen Jane" by Loreena McKennitt

Recommended for Teens (Alive or Otherwise)

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

There are certainly plenty of good things I can say about this book, but for a better review, click the Epinions link below. Suffice to say that Stacey Kade doesn't deliver the same old tired out plot. You think the main man is a goth - he's not. You think the girl is a bratty cheerleader - ok, so she is, but she's got some spice on her side that gives her a more interesting personality. And the problem they face? Definitely not what you were expecting. Certainly not what I was expecting. I had a great time reading this and trouble putting it down. I don't doubt that you will do the same.

Read the Epinions review here!

Notes from the playlist: "Black Black Heart 2.0" by David Usher

Purchased for My Shelf

Natural History: The Ultimate Visual Guide to Everything on Earth

If you've followed this blog at all, you may have picked up at some point how much I adore DK books (that is, the folks at Dorling Kindersley Publishing). This was one of those books that, while in the receiving room pulling it out of the box, I got all googly-eyed over and knew I had to have. Hands down. The second I knew I could get it at a lower price (because it's list price is a whopping $50 though completely understandable), I nabbed it. This book is like every DK book ever made about the natural world. It is, in a single word, AWESOME. Every glossy page is filled with brightly colored pictures of mushrooms, fish, ferns, big cats, bears, spiders, dragonflies, and virtually everything that walks, crawls, swims, or wriggles on the planet. Ok, so maybe not everything, but it's pretty darn close. Just by flipping through it, I've already discovered all sorts of things. The fossa in Madagascar are real and do eat lemurs, and there really are deer out there with fangs (I knew it!).



Notes from the playlist: "TRON Legacy (End Titles)" by Daft Punk

Currently Reading

Intellectual Devotional: Biographies by David S. Kidder & Noah D. Oppenheim

Happy New Year!

Another year, another Intellectual Devotional to be read! Tonight I'll be on Day 1 and learning all about...hold on a moment...Khufu, ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Nifty. These books are great because you glean all sorts of tidbits about people and culture that you may not have known before. This time it's biographies only (in case the title didn't give it away). A different page about a different person every night for the next year. You never know who you're going to get! From thieves to presidents, singers to architects, and much more, it's another intelligent way to end the day.

Past volumes:
Intellectual Devotional (Original)
Intellectual Devotional: American History
Intellectual Devotional: Modern Culture


Notes from the playlist: "Zombie Fight" by Ilan Eshkeri