"I'm going to go back there someday"

Picked up from almeda. I'm going to track which books I read this year.

• 'Date' below means the date I finished reading it;


• [L] means I got it from the library;


• [O] means online book;


• [P] means proofreading;


• [R] means a re-read;


• [S] means secondhand.



1. Jan 11: Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold (Miles Vorkosigan Series) [S]


2. Shadow Unit, Season 1, [O]
   • Jan 13: Breath by Emma Bull (Episode 1.01)
   
   
   • Jan 13: Knock on Coffins by Elizabeth Bear (Episode 1.02)
   
   
   • Jan 13: Dexterity by Sarah Monette (Episode 1.03)
   
   
   • Jan 14: A Handful of Dust by Will Shetterly (Episode 1.04)
   
   
   • Jan 14: Ballistic by Sarah Monette, Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear & Amanda Downum (Episode 1.05)
   
   
   • Jan 15: Endgames by Emma Bull (Episode 1.06)
   
   
   • Jan 16: Overkill by Elizabeth Bear (Episode 1.07)
   
   
   • Jan 23: Refining Fire by Elizabeth Bear & Emma Bull (Episode 1.08)


3. Feb 03: Crimson Mask by Matthew Schwartz [P]


4. Feb 06: Primary Inversion by Catherine Asaro (Skolian Empire, #1) [R]


5. Feb 09: Catch the Lightning by Catherine Asaro (Skolian Empire, #2) [S]


6. Feb 10: Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon (Vatta's War #1) [S]


7. Feb 17: Lifeload by Jo Walton


8. Feb 23: Echos of Honor by David Weber (Honor Harrington Series #8) [S]


9. Feb 24: Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold (Miles Vorkosigan Series) [S]
   
10. Feb 26: The Pride of Chanur by C.J. Cherryh (Alliance-Union universe) [S]



11. Mar 02: Awake Chimera by M.J. Graykin


12. Shadow Unit, Season 2, [O]
    • Mar 02: Lucky Day by Elizabeth Bear & Emma Bull (Episode 2.01)
    
    
    • Apr 15: Sugar by Leah Bobet (Episode 2.02)
    
    
    • May 06: Sin Eater by Emma Bull (Episode 2.03)


13. Mar 05: The Green Hills of Earth by Robert A. Heinlein [S]


14. Mar 09: Mage-Guard of Hamor by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. (Recluse Series)


15. Mar 15: Brightness Falls from the Air by James Tiptree, Jr. [S]


16. Mar 19: The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon [S]


17. Mar 26: Ashes of Victory by David Weber (Honor Harrington Series #9) [S]


18. Mar 31: Rebirth of Wonder by Lawrence Watt-Evans [R]



19. Apr 09: Ravens in the Library Edited by SatyrPhil Brucado & Sandra Buskirk


20. Apr 11: Into the Fire by Norma McPhee (Forces of Nurture #1)


21. Apr 13: Walls of Ice by Norma McPhee (Forces of Nurture #2)


22. Apr 21: The Sharing Knife: Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold


23. Apr 23: Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon (Vatta's War #2) [S]


24. Apr 26: Goblin Hero by Jim Hines (Jig the Goblin #3) [S]


25. Apr 28: Mistress of Dragons by Margaret Weis (Dragonvarld #1) [S]



26. May 01: Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon (Vatta's War #3)


27. May 07: Barrow by John Deakins [R]


28. May 08: Assassin Fantastic by Martin Harry Greenberg & Alexander Potter (Editors)[R][S]


29. May 09: The Sharing Knife: Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold


30. May 14: Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon (Vatta's War #4)


31. May 15: Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon (Vatta's War #5)


32. May 18: Guards Guards by Terry Pratchett (Diskworld) [R]


33. May 22: Goblin War by Jim Hines (Jig the Goblin #3) [Signed]


34. May 26: Bug Wars by Robert Asprin [R]


35. May 29: Radiant Seas by Catherine Asaro (Skolian Empire, #4) [S]



36. Jun 24: Survival by Julie E. Czerneda (Species Imperative #1)


37. Jun 28: A Confederation of Valor by Tanya Huff (Confederation Series Omnibus #1 & #2)


38. Jun 30: Forging the Sword by Hilari Bell (Farsala Trilogy #3) [S]



39. Jul 03: Heart of Valor by Tanya Huff (Confederation #3)


40. Jul 06: Wellspring of Chaos by L.E. Modessitt Jr. (Recluse Series #12) [R]


41. Jul 07: Organic Orcharding by Gene Logsdon


42. Jul 08: Noah's Garden by Sara Stein [R][S]


43. Jul 09: Santuary by Mercedes Lackey (The Dragon Jousters #3) [L]


44. Jul 11: Strange Attractors by Jeffrey Carver (Chaos Chronicles #1) [L][R]


45. Jul 15: Mind Changer by James White (Sector General) [L]



46. Aug 09: Rise of a Merchant Prince by Raymond E. Feist (Serpent War #2)


47. Aug 12: Rage of a Demon King by by Raymond E. Feist (Serpent War #3)


48. Aug 15: Shards of a Broken Crown by by Raymond E. Feist (Serpent War #4)



49. Sep 03: Rosemary & Rue by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #1)


50. Sep 18: Edible Forest Garden; Vol I by Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier [L]



51. Oct 05: Imager by L. E. Modesitt, Jr (Imager Portfolio #1) [L]


52. Oct 13: Valor's Trial by Tanya Huff (Confederation #3) [L]


53. Oct 17: DAW 30th anniversary, Science Fiction edited by Elizabeth R. Wollheim & Sheila E. Gilbert [S]


54. Oct 26: War of the Oaks by Emma Bull [L]



55. Dec XX: Title Here by Author Here (Series #1)

Not spoilery but still behind a ( cut )

I've been busy, That's part of why I havent posted much lately (plus limited internet access).

Last weekend we went to a small filk circle in Milwaukee. It was a change of pace to filk with people who haven't heard all my material. I even tried some new (for me) stuff.

Lately I have been reglasing CGC's windows (wood sills) priming them, and repainting them. We are changing color for a dusty green, to a rusty orange. I have also repainted the north side door, and the address sign.

I picked up the book Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire at a B&N in Arlington Heights yesterday. They had 9 copies. I have not had a chance to read it yet. I have been reading Edible Forest Garden: Vol 1 which will (I hope) help me plan next spring's garden.

If we get an early fall this year it's my fault. I made a beef stew for dinner this week. (Beef stew is one of the signs of fall for me.)

Last night CGC took me to see Montrose Harbor. There was a bit of haze in the air, but the moon was almost full, and shone beautifully on the lake.

My brother the poet will be arriving in Chicago on the 12th of September. He will be the Featured Poet at Green Mill Poetry on September 13th. Then he is leaving on the 16th.

And what's good to do on a quiet weekend

Discover new Webcomics

I know someone recomended it to me before, but it took me till now to check out *Magellan, by xmung and Stephen Crowley .
It is a well written story, with acceptable artistic style, and 5 years of Archive. Premise: In a world with "super heroes" a young woman without "special powers" decides to go for training at the Magellan Adademy.
This comic makes me miss playing Mutants & Masterminds.

I also stumbled onto Dreamless by Bobby Crosby and Sarah Ellerton. The artwork for this one is georgous, and the story is quite touching, the only drawback is that it is only up to 20 pages so far, but it is well worth reading.

When I heard yesterday that the temp today would reach 90^o I decided that would be a good day to visit Revere Beach.

I brought a backpack to work with towel, blanket, beach clothes, and sun tan lotion, in addition to my usual work gear.

I got out of work at about 5, took the Green Line to the Blue Line, and got off at Revere Beach. The air temp was about 91^o the water temp was about 51^o. It was… refreshing. I did go in the water all the way. After that I went to lie down and finish my book (Goblin War by Jim C. Hines if you are curious). The wind was… exfoliating. It was blowing hard enough that the sand built up in the spine of the pages I was reading.

Of course no trip to Revere Beach would be complete without a visit to Kelly’s Roast Beef. The service was a little slow, but not as bad as I feared it would be. I got a roast beef sandwich with onions, tomatoes and horseradish sauce, it was worth the wait.

I got back on the Blue Line at Wonderland Station, and made it to North Station with 20 minutes to spare on the 8:30 train to Lowell.

I finished Ravens in the Library today. It took me a while to find a common thread to the collection. There are stories of fantasy, of time travel, of urban settings, of rustic settings, of magic and mundanity, of loss and of love. The artwork was equally varied, but each image well suited the story it went with.

While the subject matter tends to be very different from one to another, as a whole it is clear to me that this is a collection of fables. Rather than a moral, each story (including the introduction) contains a warning of one kind or another. Some are cautionary tales, while others show the value of hope.

I’ll admit that a couple of the stories may have been darker than I prefer, but there is not one poorly written story in the collection. Whether heartening or haunting each was evocative and worth reading once, some I will read again and again.

My copy of Ravens in the Library has arrived.

I haven't had a chance to do more than look at the illustrations read the Introduction, but I can say that it is quite Shiney.

Quote:

RAVENS ARE HERE

Hello, everyone!

We got 200 copies of our first print run last night. 500-600 more are to be delivered to us today, with the balance delivered on Monday. We'll be holding a packing party this weekend, and shipping out as many orders as we can fulfill on Monday. Priority goes to the earliest orders. Yes, it looks like we'll need to commission a second print run immediately, as we've nearly sold through the first one. Thank you, everyone!

If you have changed addresses since placing your order, PLEASE SEND US AN UPDATED ADDRESS!!! Although we have corrected address notes from a few customers, we don't want anyone to slip through the cracks.

Also, one or two of you never SENT us an address! If we don't know where to reach you, we can't send RAVENS to you.

Thanks again, everyone. The book looks great. We hope you like it.

Cheers!

Yesterday I went to Pandemonium Books & Games for an unusual event, to celebrate the release of Catherynne M. Valente’s new book Palimpsest.

They opened with readings of select passages by folzgold, s00j, Kevin K' Wiley, and Catherynne herself.

s00j then played a song based on the passages. They continued to alternate between readings by Catherynne and songs by s00j, then suddenly it was two hours later.

The venue worked quite well, it was full without being overcrouded, the underground room suited the works, even the rumbling of the red-line seemed to go with the storytelling not detract. The only failing (and it wasn't the management's fault) was that they sold out of copies of the book before everyone there could get one.

S.J. Tucker sang in a different "voice" for each song. Kevin said afterwards that she is almost fully recovered from her health issues. If that was "almost" then I'm not sure the room could have handled the full power of s00j.

Catherynne M. Valente is an excellent reader (not all authors are) willing to let the book speak for itself. From the passages read, the book is both a sensual and intellectual exploration of place.

Anyone going on the train trip is in for a real treat.

Back in 1990 I picked up a good short story collection called Barrow by John Deakins. While it was the work of a single author, in style it was similar to the "Shared Universe Anthologies" of the time. The stories were set in and around the city of Barrow with interweaving of characters.

Unfortunatly the book came out just as the trend of short story collections was ending (Santuary, Liavek, & Merovingen Nights all wraped up in 1990 or 1991) and the trend of Epic Novels was begining (Robert Jordan's The Eye of the World, The Wheel of Time, Book 1 came out 1990)

So even though the end of Barrow was written pointing to a sequel, there wasn't any. Today I discovered that a publisher has reprinted Barrow, and that #2 & #3 came out in 2007, and #4 came out at the end of 2008.

Horay!

It seems that O’Reilly Media (Publisher's of computer technology topics) has written a ‘cookbook for geeks’ which according to one reviewer 'treats cooking as a coding challenge'. So far the book has only been published in German “Das Kochbuch für Geeks”, but since I know at least 2 computer geeks who speak German I though I would mention it.

Question for vixyish (and anyone else who is curious): have you seen This 1965 book with illustrations by Edward Gorey before?

Picked up from rosinavs

Over in saveours00j, Phil Brucato (satyrblade) has announced Ravens in the Library, an anthology to benefit s00j for her medical expenses.

The contributor list includs Charles deLint, Catherynne M. Valente ( yuki_onna), Neil Gaiman, Shira Lipkin (shadesong), Phil Brucato (satyrblade), S.J.Tucker(s00j) and many more.

I am told that this is going to be a limited edition book. Once the set fundraising limit is reached they will not be selling it anymore.

Based on the "unread book meme" below is a current list of all Hugo and Nebula award ( Novels )

With only a couple of days left till Harry Potter book 7 comes out, I think I will post my ( predictions. )

Anyone else want to make a prediction? (Behind cut-tags of course)

I was recently directed to paperbackswap.com by apocalypticbob It has worked great for me so far. When first registering you enter (fair condition) books that you would be willing to part with. You get 3 "starter credits" for the first 9 books you make available (1 credit = 1 book). After that you get 1 credit for each book you ship, and each book you request costs 1 credit. The shipper pays the shipping cost (Typically $1.59 for a single book.) There is no cost to register.

I have shipped off 7 books, received 5, and 3 more books are enroute to me (plus 1 to my nephew). I have been able to fill in some of the "holes" in my collection. Entering books into the system is simple (it uses ISBN), and it will print out the "shipping lable.

By the way, if any of you do decide to join, and you put me (Nickname:MaverickWeirdo) down as the one who recomended the site to you, then I get a bonus credit.

I truely appreciate advice and feedback. Even stuff I don't agree with, or that I am not ready to hear, lets me know that people care enough to share their opinion/feelings/experiences.

I have now reached the point where people are recommending books. So far I have had recommended to me Neale Donald Walsh on Relationships by Neale Donald Walsh & The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama. I'm typically not much for "self-help" books, but I may look into those once I finish the one that has been waiting for me 2 years now.

It is (  'The Invitation' by Oriah Mountain Dreamer )

I was very impressed with the poem, and even more impressed by the real and pratical writing style of the author. The meditations are meant to help people live more thoughtfully, more intimately with themselves, others, and the world. I read the first couple of meditations, then chickened out. The author mentions a couple of times that living more fully brings changes into our lives, and we cannot control what those changes may be. I though about what "living more fully" might be like, then I though about what I had to lose. My biggest fear was that by changing the way I live my life, I might alienate my wife, and I did not want to lose her. So I put the book down.

I cannot say if continuing the book two years ago might have saved my marriage, or ended it sooner, or made no difference at all.

Today I completed the third meditation.