All Booked Up

Friday Favourites - Your Favourite Cover Artist?

2012-05-25T00:10:00.001-07:00

I've got three favourite cover artists actually.
There's Jody A. Lee, who's done the art on a lot of the books I've read. It's gotten to the point where I can see a book and say "that's a Jody A. Lee cover" before I check the book to be sure. Typically her covers are usually on DAW books. I've noted her artwork on the following to date: Micky Zucker Reichert's Renshai books and the Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey (and also some of her other titles too), and a number of other authors and titles. She's actually about the only cover artist I can recognize like this - her work is rather distinctive and doesn't change from author to author or series.

My second favourite isn't technically a cover artist to the best of my knowledge: Alan Lee. I love his Lord of the Rings artwork, which was used by HarperCollins for some editions of The Lord of the Rings. Until I checked though just now, I honestly thought their covers for the History of Middle-Earth series were Alan Lee paintings as well. Turns out that they're actually John Howe's artwork instead - my other favourite for Tolkien-themed artwork. There's just something about the atmosphere that Alan Lee manages to invoke in his paintings that's perfect for Middle-Earth in my mind.

The third cover artist on my list is actually juggling for top place: the cover artist for the trade-paperback editions of Hand of Isis and Black Ships (or so I'm guessing - my copy of Black Ships seems to have disappeared again). Actually, as I think I've said before, Hand of Isis is a book I picked up on the strength of the cover alone.

Not only that, but the cover for this edition of Hand of Isis holds place as my all-time favourite piece of cover art, as I noted in a previous Friday Favourites post. There's just something about the way Debra Lill has done these two covers that I absolutely love. I'd be curious to see any other cover art of hers too and see if this particular style is something that's typical of all her work or something specific to her Jo Graham covers.

So, who's your favourite cover artist, and why?

Library Loot - May 22

2012-05-23T00:09:00.001-07:00

This past week Library Loot has been hosted by Marg at The Adventures Of An Intrepid Reader. I'll admit that I haven't been a regular at my local libraries, but I went in to clean out the Ancient Greece section today. The resulting bag contained:

Oxford Archaeological Guides: Greece
Christopher Mee & Anthony Spawforth

The amazon.com product description:

Greece, with all its temples, cities, and sanctuaries created by Europe's most formative ancient civilization, is a must-see for the archaeological traveler. This valuable new addition to the acclaimed Oxford Archaeological Guides series provides coverage of all the main archaeological sites in Greece, ranging from prehistory to the sixth century AD. The individual sites are arranged by region, and include Philip's Tomb at Vergina, the Palace complex at Mycenae, the Temples of the Acropolis, the Hellenistic city of the Messene, and the Roman colony of Corinth. Also included in the book are 'partner factor' ratings that rank the most worthwhile sites for travelers to visit during their stay. An up-to-date introduction surveys Greece's landscape, history, and archaeology from the Neolithic period to the end of antiquity, and places the sites in their cultural context. Finally, there is a chronology for reference and a glossary of essential terms.

History of Greece From The Beginnings To The Byzantine Era
Hermann Bengtson. Translated by Edmund F. Bloedow

The amazon.com product description:

This translation of the fifth edition of Hermann Bengston's masterly and compendious "Griechische Geschichte" is written in an accessible, stimulating style. It is outstandingly comprehensive and cover the period from the Early Bronze Age right through to the Byzantine era.

Ancient Greece From Prehistoric To Hellenistic Times
Thomas R. Martin

The amazon.com product description:

Using primary sources the political, military, social, cultural and religious histories of Ancient Greece are covered. There are relevant time lines, maps, plans and photographs. Particular attention is also given to the society, literature and architecture in its golden age.

The title above was the book I'd gone to the library for. The rest of the bag were just bonuses.

The Oxford History Of The Classical World
John Bordman, Jasper Griffin and Oswyn Murray

The amazon.com product description:

From the epic poems of Homer to the glittering art and architecture of Greece's Golden Age to the influential Roman systems of law and leadership, the classical world has established the foundations of our culture, as well as many of its enduring achievements. Astonishingly in-depth in its coverage of the entire 1000-year history of the classical world and richly illustrated, The Oxford History of the Classical World offers the general reader the definitive companion to the Graeco-Roman world, its history, and its achievements.
The first volume, Classical Greece and the Hellenistic World, covers the period from the eighth to first centuries B.C., a period unparalleled in history for its brilliance in literature, philosophy, and the visual arts. It also treats the Hellenization of the Middle East by the monarchies established in the area conquered by Alexander the Great.
The second volume, Classical Rome, covers early Rome and Italy, the expansion of the Roman republic, the foundation of the Roman Empire by Augustus, its consolidation in the first two centuries A.D., and the later Empire and its influence on Western civilization.
The editors--three eminent classicists, John Boardman, Jasper Griffin, and Oswyn Murray--intersperse chapters on political and social history with chapters on literature, philosophy, and the arts, and reinforce the historical framework with maps and chronological charts. The two volumes also contain bibliographies and a full index, as well as color plates, black and white illustrations, and maps integrated into the text.
The contributors--thirty of the world's leading scholars--present the latest in modern scholarship through masterpieces of wit, brevity, and style. While concentrating on the aspects essential to understanding each period, they also focus on those elements of the classical world that remain of lasting importance and interest to readers today. Together, these volumes provide both a provocative and entertaining window into our past.

The Oxford Illustrated Prehistory Of Europe
Barry Cunliffe

The amazon.com product description:

When a melting Swiss glacier recently revealed the body of a hunter millennia old, the world sat up and took notice. Here, in his well-preserved arrows, tools, and leather garments (not to mention his own remains) was a rare glimpse of life in prehistoric Europe, and it captured the public imagination. Elsewhere more obvious remnants of the pre-classical past have long been objects of fascination: the megaliths of northwestern Europe, the palaces of Crete, the mysterious cave paintings of France. Now archeologist Barry Cunliffe and a team of distinguished experts shed light on this astonishing, long-silent world in a comprehensive and lavishly illustrated account.
Ranging from the earliest settlements through the emergence of Minoan civilization to the barbarian world at the end of the Roman Empire, The Oxford Illustrated Prehistory of Europe provides a fascinating look at how successive cultures adapted to the landscape of Europe. In synthesizing the diverse findings of archeology, the authors capture the sweeping movements of peoples, the spread of agriculture, the growth of metal working, and the rise and fall of cultures. They provide intriguing insight on the Minoan and the Mycenean past underlying classical Greek history, and on the disasters that destroyed Minoan civilization. They explore the increasingly sophisticated societies of northern Europe, revealing surprisingly far-reaching trade between different areas. The peoples of Bronze Age Denmark, for instance, sent amber to Germany in return for scarce metal, while new technologies spread widely across the continent. The book continues through the end of the Roman Empire, exploring the barbarian world beyond Rome's northern frontier.
For centuries, we knew little of the European civilizations that preceded classical Greece or arose outside of the Roman Empire, beyond ancient myths and the writings of Roman observers. Now the most recent discoveries of archeology have been synthesized into one exciting volume. Featuring hundreds of stunning photographs (many in full color), this book provides the most complete account available of the prehistory of European civilization.

I'm laughing at myself with this last book, as it turns out that I already have it, and in a more recent edition too. Not the first time it's happened, nor will it be the last, I'm sure.

Either way, these books were not borrowed with the intent to read, but as reference material to look things up in. I'm a bit frustrated right now, because I thought I had more information in my collection than I actually do. On the other hand, some of the books I'm thinking of might be in storage, so I do still have them. I just can't remember for sure.

Saturday Snapshots - May 19

2012-05-19T00:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday Snapshots is a fun non-book-related meme hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books each week. The idea is to post a photo that you, a friend, or family member has taken. The photos can't simply be taken randomly off the internet, and must also be family-friendly. Within those restrictions though, it's easy and lots of fun.

This week I'm digging back into my archives again. I think this one was taken with my current camera, but I'm honestly not sure anymore. Still, it's a subject I want to take more of in the future. Bees and flowers are a ton of fun to photograph, and somewhat challenging.

I quite like the way the depth of field worked out, although I'm sure this was taken on auto mode. Just luck.

Really though, I need to get back out and take more photographs, or at least get the current crop off of the camera card soon.

Friday Favourites: Your Favourite Cookbook

2012-05-18T01:14:00.000-07:00

I`m finding this one to be an extremely challenging one to answer, simply because I love a lot of the cookbooks I have - spending time in the kitchen is a ton of fun. Last year I did manage to narrow the list of my favourites down to five.

I`m particularly partial to Mark Bittman, Jamie Oliver and Michael Smith's books, although I like a number of other authors as well. I wonder if it's the approach they take. None of them are particularly formal in how the recipes are done, nor the the food always super-fancy. It's as likely to be something simple and tasty - comfort food as it were.

When I was writing before, I wasn't as into watching the various cooking shows, so that wasn't shaping my perceptions as much. Now it is more, which is one of the reasons I love Jamie Oliver and Michael Smith as chefs. Well, that and also the fact that their recipes almost never fail me. Whether it's a soup, a casserole or even a drink, it is usually absolutely delicious.

Narrowing things down to one cookbook though, I'm going to have to say it's The Best of Chef At Home by Michael Smith, just based on his approach to cooking. It's inspiring to say the least. Every recipe has some explanation as to why you do something in a particular way, as well as some form of variation to change the flavour. Essentially, it seems to me as though I'm getting double the recipes for my money.

I really love the way he encourages experimentation in the kitchen and with cooking. I'll admit that I'm watching a lot of the Chef At Home T.V. show these days and every single episode I've seen has me wanting to get into the kitchen and try something. But, I get that feeling from the book(s) too. And, I've started experimenting too - using the book for inspiration. Even for something as simple as a salad dressing, or a way to jazz up some carrots.

The most recent successful recipe from this book was an incredible mushroom soup, though I just found a salad dressing I have to try - one of the variations on the salad dressings: a raspberry salad dressing.

But for me it just comes down to the approach that Michael Smith takes: relaxed and fun, family oriented cooking. There's no stress, no need to get it "right" as long as it tastes good, and for me, that works to get me into the kitchen and trying new things.

The things I like about the blue Chef At Home book are true of all his cookbooks too, and the one to the left here, may soon overtake the first one as my favourite. At the moment, it's simple familiarity that keeps it there, and I'm trying new recipes from this one too all the time. So far, my favourite has been the baked acorn squash recipe. It takes a bit of time, but is delicious and goes well with a lot of different meats too.

What's your favourite cookbook?

Kobo Vox - Longer Term Impressions

2012-05-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

It's now been several months since I posted both my First Impressions review of the Kobo Vox and my Further Impressions. Since then, I've added a couple of tutorials: Installing the Overdrive Media Console and Installing the Amazon Kindle app.

While I've been a fan of the Kobo e-reader from day one, since I got the Kobo Vox, I haven't even charged up the old Wi-Fi model once. As far as I'm concerned, low battery-life and all, the Vox trumps the older models completely. I can't say anything about the Touch model though.

I've done a fair bit of reading on it too. Both of Michael R. Hicks books - through the amazon Kindle app, which works like a charm - and several others too.

Daylight or night, it works wonderfully with all kinds of lighting - definitely better than my smartphone screen.

Reading back, I noticed that I commented on the Live Wallpapers having a tendency to slow my Vox down back in my Further Impressions post. Maybe it was just that one wallpaper, because I've since been running a spectacular one, with no problems in the last couple of months. Finding and installing the wallpapers though has been a challenge, because most of them are linked from the Android Marketplace, which it seems, the Vox still has no access to. On the other hand, I haven't tried in recent months, but at the same time I haven't heard otherwise either.

The libraries have been a bit of a disappointment though. Nothing to do with the Overdrive Media Console app or how it works however. That side of things has worked - no problems. It's just that the libraries don't seem to have the kind of books I'm interested in reading - mostly science fiction or fantasy novels.

Loading on non-Kobo E-books is still an absolute breeze. Drop the e-pub file onto your micor-SD card and insert it into the Vox. Open the Library, and your e-reader does the rest of the job for you. Believe me, about half my library is on there from that method.

The feature I'm starting to take more advantage of now though is the Pulse, that social aspect of reading which has been integrated into the Kobo Vox interface. Surprisingly, at least with the super-popular books like Game of Thrones, it's lots of fun, because you can keep track of who else is reading the book at the same time, and how many times the book has been read. Not to mention reading other people's comments about the book. It's possible to read all the comments at once (choosing one option will let you avoid spoilers too) or to see comments and "likes/dislikes" for particular pages. It's kind of neat to know that somebody has commented for the same page you're reading. I'm thinking of it a bit like a world-wide book club for the book you're reading. Unfortunately, it only works with the books you buy from Kobo.

At the same time, I'm integrating Facebook into my reading a bit more. I only just managed to get the Facebook app (the screen just past the home screen) to let me log in properly, and I've been finding that the Facebook integration with Kobo is a bit finicky, and not always letting me do things like posting quotes. On the other hand, that could be my unfamiliarity with both Facebook and that segment of Kobo usage talking.

On a different topic, recently Dark Horse Comics has announced a partnership with Kobo to bring their graphic novels to the Kobo Vox. Even though I haven't tried reading a full graphic novel on the Kobo Vox, I have seen what they look like. It's spectacular! The pages are vibrant and clear, with readable text and crisp images.

Overall, I've had nothing but good experiences with my Kobo Vox over the past several months. Certainly the "new gadget" appeal has never worn off in my eyes.

I have however, noticed a change in how I read, using the Vox as compared to reading a paper book or even on the older Wi-Fi model. Before, I would read in longer segments of time, even hours at a time. Now, when I'm reading on the Vox, I find myself switching over to playing a game after only a few minutes of reading. Just the temptation of having the games available?

Saturday Snapshots - May 12

2012-05-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday Snapshots is the most fun non-book-related meme that I've found to date. This photography themed piece of fun (I look forward to it, sometimes planning out the photo I'm going to use days in advance) is hosted each week by Alyce of At Home With Books.

The idea is to post a photo that you or a family member/friend has taken. Only two caveats: 1. that it is taken by you or someone you know, and 2. that it be suitable for all-ages viewing.

This week I've been digging into the archives again, despite the great weather. I just didn't get a lot of photos, and the ones I did take are all still on the memory card.

Anyway, this photo is from one of my camping trips last year. We went down to the dock just around sunset one evening, and this was the result. At the time, I was quite happy with it. Now though, I'm noticing a few flaws. Although, I still really like the lighting of the shot. Maybe I'll be able to get a better version this year.

Friday Favourites: Your Favourite Non-Fiction Book?

2012-05-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

Little Princes: One Man's Promise To Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan.

I first read and reviewed the book back in February of 2011, and I haven't been able to stop raving about it ever since.

The amazon.com product description:

In search of adventure, 29-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Children’s Home, an orphanage in war-torn Nepal.

Conor was initially reluctant to volunteer, unsure whether he had the proper skill, or enough passion, to get involved in a developing country in the middle of a civil war. But he was soon overcome by the herd of rambunctious, resilient children who would challenge and reward him in a way that he had never imagined. When Conor learned the unthinkable truth about their situation, he was stunned: The children were not orphans at all. Child traffickers were promising families in remote villages to protect their children from the civil war—for a huge fee—by taking them to safety. They would then abandon the children far from home, in the chaos of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
For Conor, what began as a footloose adventure becomes a commitment to reunite the children he had grown to love with their families, but this would be no small task. He would risk his life on a journey through the legendary mountains of Nepal, facing the dangers of a bloody civil war and a debilitating injury. Waiting for Conor back in Kathmandu, and hopeful he would make it out before being trapped in by snow, was the woman who would eventually become his wife and share his life’s work.
Little Princes is a true story of families and children, and what one person is capable of when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. At turns tragic, joyful, and hilarious, Little Princes is a testament to the power of faith and the ability of love to carry us beyond our wildest expectations.

Even though I read this book over a year ago, I really want to read it again at some point. I remember wanting to know what happened to each of the kids, and overall, that I couldn't put the book down. As much as this is the story of Conor, it's also the story of each of the kids he met at the Little Princes Children's Home, and they really are sweet kids.

I'd like to think that I got an idea of what it's like in Nepal, or at least what it was like a few years ago from reading this book. All I can say is that it's well-written, vivid and descriptive. I can't stop raving about the book either. It's one of my favourites to recommend at work too.

What's your all-time favourite non-fiction book (or at least, favourite non-fiction book to date)?

The Selection - Kiera Cass

2012-05-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

The Selection
Kiera Cass
HarperTeen
Copyright: April 2012
978-0062059932

The amazon.com product description:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Honestly, The Selection is a book I picked up on a whim. That said, once I'd picked it up, I couldn't put the book down again. Ended up finishing the read the same night. So, the first thing that comes to mind about the story is that it is a quick read - but captivating at the same time.

The story seemed somewhat familiar to me too, the idea of the prince choosing a bride from a certain limited pool of girls. In that sense the story is similar to Gail Carson Levine's novel Princess Academy. I don't know if the similarities are more than superficial though, as I haven't read any of Gail Carson Levine's books. But, if you liked that, and you like books that are set in a very regimented future, this might be a perfect book for you.

I do have to say, I found the main character's name to be slightly annoying, "America" just isn't a person's name to me. On the other hand, once I'd read farther in, her mother's reasoning for naming her that does fit, and suits her character very well.

This is a teen-oriented book, so the main thrust is along the "do I love him? does he love me? who should I choose?" lines, but despite that, there are other themes being mixed in as well to form a very captivating book. I certainly found the characters, America and Maxon mostly, to be fascinating and definitely not annoying - something I should admit to having felt with some other teen books.

Still, there was one big downside I found to the book. It resolved nothing. Definitely we have to wait for the second book in the series - according to amazon,com, it's supposed to be a trilogy. I'm curious to see what's going to happen there.

A lot of reviews that I've read are comparing The Selection to The Hunger Games. For myself, I don't really see the comparison, and I've never watched any of the reality TV shows that are the other component of the comparisons. So, I guess I'm coming at this book from more or less a clean slate perspective.

Still, irregardless of my complaints as to the ending or lack of, I did quite enjoy the read, and if you're looking for a light, quick read, I have to suggest giving Keira Cass' The Selection a try.

Music on the subway?

2012-05-07T20:59:00.001-07:00

I know, it's not within the subject of this blog, but I absolutely loved this video. The music is gorgeous, and everybody's expressions just made my day. Wish I'd been on that train, and I wish that kind of thing would happen on transit around here.

Here's hoping it brightens your day too.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2012-05-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted each week over at Book Journey. Thanks Sheila for trying to keep us all on track with our reading. Hopefully it's as much fun for you as participating in this meme is for me (and I'm guessing for everyone else too).

Last week I read:
In Her Name: The Last War by Michael R. Hicks. Fiction, science fiction, e-book. The prequel/sequel to the In Her Name omnibus that I read and reviewed a couple of months ago. I loved this book just as much as the previous one.

True Strength: My Journey From Hercules To Mere Mortal - And How Nearly Dying Saved My Life by Kevin Sorbo. Nonfiction, biography. Very much an awe-inspiring read which kept me riveted. Yes, the title says that he became a mere mortal because of what's happened to him, but in my mind, to keep going through everything that life has thrown at him makes Kevin Sorbo even more "Hercules".

I'm currently reading:
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. Fiction, fantasy, e-book. This is my second attempt at this book, and while I'm enjoying it, there are things that are bugging me about it too. Still the characters are very fleshed out and the descriptions are great. It's more some of the character attitudes that I don't care for. And, no I haven't seen the TV series.

Facing Up: A Remarkable Journey To The Summit Of Mount Everest by Bear Grylls. Non Fiction, Biography. I'm back to reading this one a bit more actively now and I'm enjoying it a lot.

I'm planning to read:
I don't know. Every time I come up with something here, I usually end up reading something completely different. I'd still like to take another look at the Star Wars graphic novels though.

True Strength: My Journey From Hercules To Mere Mortal - And How Nearly Dying Saved My Life - Kevin Sorbo

2012-05-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

True Strength: My Journey From Hercules To Mere Mortal - And How Nearly Dying Saved My Life
Kevin Sorbo
Da Capo Press
Copyright: October 2011
9780306820366

The amazon.com product description:

On television, Kevin Sorbo portrayed an invincible demigod; in his real life, a sudden health crisis left him partially blind and incapacitated at just thirty-eight years old. Yet since appearances are everything in Hollywood, he hid the full details about his condition from the press and continued to film Hercules, which was the number one TV series in the world. In this inspiring memoir, Sorbo shares the story of the crisis that ultimately redefined his measure of success.

True Strength is the story of transformation, persistence, and hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Sorbo reflects on his childhood in Minnesota and his early acting days in Hollywood, to his charmed life as television’s beloved Hercules, and where he is today. He recounts the onset of his symptoms, his frightening hospitalization, and his arduous path to recovery. With this honest account of personal tragedy and triumph, Sorbo aims to blaze a trail for those who have ever suffered acute illness or a serious setback in life and are now struggling to find their way back.

I just finished reading this book last night and my first reaction was "Wow!". What Kevin Sorbo has been through and how he's dealt with it has absolutely amazed me. I'll admit it, I picked up the book in part because I enjoyed watching the Hercules T.V, show (still do from the DVD's in fact) but also because I've met him at one of the fan conventions.

Most of the book is focused on what happened during and after the health crisis that nearly killed Kevin, but there's plenty of information scattered throughout about his early life and what it was like filming on the set of Hercules before it happened as well as after. Not to mention meeting and working with Sam, his wife-to-be.

There were plenty of moments that made me smile, and others that left me wondering "how is he going to get over this". True Strength is a very honest book, going as much into the hard times as the good times - and yes, there are good times there too. It's not just hard for him either. There are chapters written by Sam, his wife, as well as some of the actors who worked with Kevin on the set of Hercules, all of which added to the picture of what he was going through.

Normally I'm not a big fan of celebrity biographies - to me they just seem to be more glorification and excusing bad behaviour. That is definitely not the case with Kevin Sorbo's book at all. True Strength is well written, engaging and educational on a lot of levels, and there were times when it brought a tear to my eye.

I can see a few different groups of people who would be interested in this book: people who are fans of Hercules or Andromeda and Kevin in general would probably love it. I know I did. Doctors might find it interesting too, along with anyone who's interested in acting. However, the big market for True Strength should be anyone who's going through a serious illness or their family members.

Kevin Sorbo is a very real person, not a mythical demi-god, but in going through what he has, and the way he got through it, in a sense he has become even more "Hercules" than he was before. I have an even greater respect for him now, knowing more about his life than I did before too.

Congratulations on getting through all of this, Kevin, and may your life remain as it is at the end of the book: a good one with your family.

Saturday Snapshots - May 5th

2012-05-05T00:35:00.001-07:00

Saturday Snapshots is a fun little meme hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books where your post a photo taken by you or a friend or family member. The only caveat is that you not just take photos from anywhere on the internet and that it be appropriate for all ages to view.

This week's photo is one from my archives again. Despite my best intentions, I didn't get out to take any pictures this week, so I'm digging into my collection. Yet another sunset, but they're a fun thing to take, every one is different, and so often spectacular.

Latest Crochet Project

2012-05-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

Last week I started working on one of the projects from Amy O'Neil Houck's book Crochet For Bears To Wear. After a couple of false starts and a lot of help from some of the local knitting group, it's going pretty nicely now. The project in question is the Long Winter's Nap Nightshirt and Cap.

This pattern is considered to be intermediate, which might have been some of my problem with it - it's assumed that the crocheter can do things like crochet in the round etc. Actually though, it's surprisingly simple now it's gotten started. I'm down to the colour-band change - another first for me, working with two colours, and most of that's been done in the last two days.

There are a couple of places where I think the pattern could have been clearer - doing the armholes for example. It says to slip-stitch to the next marked stitch. Did that mean to slip-stitch along the edge until you got to that stitch, or did it mean to join the two corners together? After a false start where I thought it was the former, I figured out that it was the latter instead, just by how the photo looked. Aside from that kind of quibble, I'm quite enjoying this project, and am already planning to do several more from the book.

In terms of the current project, I've still got the "skirt" as she calls it, and the sleeves for the nightshirt itself, but there's also a cap as part of the set. That I have yet to start.

I love the idea of learning to make clothing in miniature like this. My next planned project though is a pair of socks that I hope will fit me - I'm being lazy and not doing the gauge swatch again. For the nightshirt it seems to have worked. I figured that if the neckband fit the listed measurements, the gauge would be more or less right, and that's how it's turned out.

Yes, doing the crochet is taking away from my reading time a bit - as is the spinning I'm doing on the wheel as well, but I'm still doing plenty of reading as well. Just started with A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, so I'm glad to have something to give me a break now and again.

Friday Favourites - Your Favourite Book From April?

2012-05-04T00:28:00.002-07:00

Although I didn't review it, my favourite book for the month was No Talking by Andrew Clements, a book for kids. The suggested reading level is for kids between the ages of nine and twelve years old, but I think it would be amusing for anyone who likes kids books.

Certainly the humour in the book is not just geared towards kids, and the premise of the story is an interesting one.

The amazon.com product description:

It’s boys vs. girls when the noisiest, most talkative, and most competitive fifth graders in history challenge one another to see who can go longer without talking. Teachers and school administrators are in an uproar, until an innovative teacher sees how the kids’ experiment can provide a terrific and unique lesson in communication. In No Talking, Andrew Clements portrays a battle of wills between some spunky kids and a creative teacher with the perfect pitch for elementary school life that made Frindle an instant classic.

Enjoy a nice, lighhearted, quick read, or suggest it to your kids. I think this is one that both boys and girls will like.

In Her Name: The Last War - Michael R. Hicks

2012-05-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

In Her Name: The Last War
Michael R. Hicks
Imperial Guard Publishing
Copyright: 2011

The Amazon.com product description:

THE LAST WAR is a trilogy collection of the complete text of the novels IN HER NAME: FIRST CONTACT, LEGEND OF THE SWORD, and DEAD SOUL.

FIRST CONTACT

Led by Commander Owen McClaren, the TNS Aurora is embarked on an extended survey mission, searching for new worlds that could support human life. Drawn to an uncharted star system by the discovery of potentially habitable planets, the crew of the Aurora discovers something entirely unexpected: the planets are already inhabited, but not by humans. Approached by gigantic alien starships, Aurora's crew makes ready for humanity’s very first contact with another sentient race.

LEGEND OF THE SWORD

Six months have passed since the destruction of the human colony on Keran by the alien Kreelan Empire. Earth and other human worlds band together to form the Confederation of Humanity to provide a mutual defense against the alien invaders.

Unfortunately, not all human worlds want to join the Confederation. Some, like Saint Petersburg, would rather see it destroyed. With a powerful navy built in secret and armed with nuclear weapons, Saint Petersburg is preparing their own offensive against the Confederation when the Kreelans attack.

DEAD SOUL

Three years after the brutal first contact encounter with the alien Kreelan Empire, the human Confederation is desperate for a victory. With over a dozen worlds under siege by legions of Kreelan warriors, President McKenna orders the Confederation military to deliver a victory to give humanity hope.

Roland Mills, Valentina Sikorsky, Ichiro Sato and his wife Steph, along with the irrepressible General James Sparks are once again at the sharp end of the spear in a mission to take back the colony of Alger’s World from the alien invaders before it’s too late.

In Her Name: The Last War is the second omnibus edition by Michael R. Hicks. The first one, reviewed here, is simply called In Her Name. This one can't really be called a sequel though, as it's set a century or so before the first trilogy, which detailed the end of the war between the Confederation and the Kreelan Empire. The Last War on the other hand, covers the first contact between humanity and the Kreelans, as well as the first years of the war.

After reading the first In Her Name trilogy, I found myself sympathetic to both sides in this conflict, something I rather liked with this series, rather than it all being one-sided. Some of the best classic science fiction - Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein comes to mind as an example - portrays a war for humanity's existence from just the one point of view. In this one, you've got numerous human points of view - my favourites were Steph and Ichiro - as well as a range of different Kreelan perspectives, some of whom are quite familiar from the other trilogy. As a result, I found myself with an even better understanding of how their culture worked.

For example, a true picture of their technological level, and how things such as ships and the like are made, as well as more about the Kreelan pattern of life, something I found to be quite intriguing. It's interesting to see a culture with a high technological understanding deliberately choosing to live in ways we consider to be low-tech - riding and pack beasts and the like, but at the same time using starships and shuttlecraft etc.

Michael R. Hicks writes some very good, fast-paced military science fiction. As with the previous trilogy, this was a book that I couldn't put down - to the point that I was getting frustrated whenever I had to charge my e-reader up again. And I didn't want the book to end either. All of the characters, even those who showed up for just a short time felt real, and regardless of which side they were on, I found myself rooting for them.

In terms of reading order, I don't think it really matters which of the two trilogies you read first, as they both seem to stand independent of one another and are separated by a fair span of time. Which is rather nice, as it's refreshing to be able to read one and not find myself going "no I can't read this until I've read that".

To my mind at least, this book is suitable for a wide range of readers, from teens onwards. Yes, there's violence, but that obviously doesn't seem to matter - look at The Hunger Games. The violence is about the same, and there isn't much else that people can object to. So, if you like science fiction, especially military science fiction, I'd have to say give In Her Name: The Last War a try. I definitely consider this book to be worth five stars, and I'm sure I'll be re-reading it in the reasonably near future too.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? April 30

2012-04-30T10:09:00.003-07:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted each week by Sheila of Book Journey | Continuing
Adventures Of A True Bookaholic. Thanks for keeping us all on track with our reading for the last two or so years now.

After the last few abysmal weeks of reading, I had a really good week last week.
I finished reading:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Fiction, science fiction, teen. As good on this read as it was on my first read. A bit better in some ways as I was now a bit more aware of the various elements setting up the story for the later books in the trilogy. Definitely a highly recommended book for both teens and adults. Katniss is quite the intriguing character, to say the least. I'm just glad that this is a world we don't live in. I don't think I'd be all that likely to survive.
Not to mention that it's a book worth re-reading, along with the sequels Catching Fire and Mockingjay. I really want to see the movie - although I have this feeling that I'm not going to until it comes out on DVD. That's just the way things have been going for me lately.

Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward. Fiction, romance, paranormal. Lover Reborn is the tenth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. A really good read once the story took off. I just found that it took more than half the book to truly do so.

Star Wars Panel To Panel Volume 2 by Randy Stradley. Graphic Novel, art, fiction. This one surprised me. I never thought I'd be enjoying a book based on graphic novels and their art so much. It's intrigued me enough that I want to look closer at this part of the Extended Universe a bit more closely. The artwork is just amazing in so many of the panels. Definitely a very quick read as the majority of each page is given over to the artwork/page panels rather than to text.

I'm currently reading (and this is another longish list):
Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Fiction, science fiction, teen. Based around a very interesting concept, this is turning out to be surprisingly good. Of course, it is a teen book, so some of the problems/issues are a bit predictable, but it's a good read none-the-less.

In Her Name: The Last War by Michael R. Hicks. Fiction, Science fiction. This is the second omnibus of Michael R. Hicks' work that I've read, and I'm absolutely loving it. The first was In Her Name. This one details the first contact between the two races and the start of the war we read about ending in the other book. My favourite book of the week, to be honest.

Facing Up: A Remarkable Journey To The Summit Of Mount Everest by Bear Grylls. Non Fiction, Biography. This one's on the back burner a bit, to be honest, although I've been enjoying it a lot.

True Strength by Kevin Sorbo. Non Fiction, Biography. Definitely a good book, but the most recent book I've started, so I can't say that much about it yet.

Beyond Snapshots by Rachel Devine and Peta Mazey. Non Fiction, Photography. As far into this book as I've gotten, it's been incredibly helpful, but I can see that the focus of the subject matter isn't really my interest. This book is geared around taking family and kid photos. The technical side of the book is incredible though. Easy to understand and make use of. Gotten via NetGalley.

With all of these on the go, I don't really think I should plan on starting more books this week :)

Top Five Fantasy Authors

2012-04-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

There are so many good fantasy authors out there that it's hard to know what to read next. And everyone's suggestions are going to be very different too. This list is only my top five favourite authors. I think I'd have a nearly impossible time narrowing it down to just five or ten books if I were to do the list that way. I know that if I asked you for yours, you'd come up with something very different.

J.R.R. Tolkien. You can't have a list of fantasy authors (unless it's for a specific sub-genre of fantasy like urban fantasy) without J.R.R. Tolkien on it. However, I'm not just bowing to pressure here, Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings is my all-time favourite book. It might be Tolkien's best known book, bot it's not the only one. There's The Hobbit and The Silmarillion set within the world of Middle-Earth, but also some non-Middle-Earth books like Mr. Bliss.

All of them are well-written, detailed and wonderfully descriptive, particularly the books set within Middle-Earth, which was something he worked on for most of his life. For a world that feels real - detailed and thoroughly described, as well as a great story with layers just waiting to be discovered, I can't think of a better author.
Elizabeth Moon. Especially the book The Deed of Paksenarrion. The whole world she's created though is detailed and vivid. One of the things that puts Elizabeth Moon's work on this list is the additional realism she's added throughout. Mud, blisters, the cold etc. All little things that remind you that a fantasy world still has it's little problems and isn't all sunshine and roses. A lot of that comes from her own background - both owning livestock now and a past in the military. Basically, for all this is a fantasy world, Paks feels like a very real character, as do the rest of the cast: Stammel, Arcolin, Arvid, Duke Phelan, all of them feel like real people. Quite honestly, this is a series where I keep waiting eagerly for the next book to come out. For some variety, Elizabeth Moon also writes science fiction, more specifically military science fiction.
Mercedes Lackey. One of the more prolific writers on my shelf, and one that I can keep coming back to again and again. Her Valdemar series is at over thirty books at my last count, and some of them manage to bring me to tears every time I read them. Yes, some of the stories are a bit formulaic - having the same "type" of main character or what have you, but I find that regardless of that, the stories are ones I can read again and again. And that's just the Valdemar books.

Mercedes Lackey has also written several other series, including the Free Bards books (starting with The Lark And The Wren), the Five Hundred Kingdoms series, several of which are reviewed here, including the most recent one Beauty and the Werewolf, and a teen series.

Personally, I find her books to be the kind I can pick up at any time, almost in any order now, and enjoy. Great for pulling myself out of a reading slump, or when I'm just not feeling a hundred percent.
Jo Graham. The perfect (in my mind at least) blend of history and fantasy. My favourites of hers are Hand of Isis and Black Ships, although she's written other books as well, including several Stargate novels (which would be more Science Fiction than Fantasy). I absolutely love the way she's taken the time period and made it real, and yet added the fantasy as well. Hand of Isis is retelling the story of Cleopatra and her life - a story we know, yet in this telling, I kept going "if only". Black Ships has taken the story of The Aeneid as told by Virgil, and fleshed it out into a full novel. Each of the books in the Numinous World, though set in a completely different period of time is connected by a thread of reincarnation. Something I honestly find quite intriguing.
Patricia Briggs. You can't have a list like this these days without having some urban fantasy on in. That said, Patricia Briggs isn't just a place-holder here. She's my favourite of the urban fantasy authors I've read. Starting with Moon Called, the Mercy Thompson series, together with the spin-off series Alpha and Omega is possibly one of the best out there.

In a lot of the urban fantasy novels the paranormal is kept completely secret. In others it's completely exposed to the public. The troubles from it's coming out are already over with. In the Mercy Thompson series, some parts of the paranormal world are out - others are still secret, and the stresses and backlash are going on as the books progress. And, of course, I just like the main character, Mercedes Thompson herself.

Saturday Snapshots - April 28

2012-04-28T02:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday Snapshots is a fun little meme hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books each Saturday. The idea of the meme is to post a snapshot or photo you or a member of your family has taken. While I try to post photos taken in the previous week, this week I wasn't able to do that - the photos are all still on the camera right now - though there are a few that I really want to see.

This one was taken at the Ferry dock on Bowen Island a few weeks ago. Just a common Seagull, but I like taking photos of birds in flight.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

2012-04-27T14:10:00.001-07:00

The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Scholastic Press
Copyright: 2008
978-0439023481

The amazon.com product description:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

As I said in my last review, The Hunger Games got a lot of press when it first came out, and even more on the release of the movie, which is currently in theatres. Actually, it was the release of the movie that made me re-read the book this time.

I have to say that I found it as good this time as I did last time, and in some ways, found it even more intriguing. Mostly due to noticing the various hints of things to come in the later two books, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Not to mention having skimmed through books like The Girl Who Was On Fire, a book of essays on the world of The Hunger Games, including aspects of the different characters. All these factors combined to make me both more aware of the details of the characters and world that Suzanne Collins has created and more thoughtful about the read.

Yes, this world is a violent and brutal place - It's perfectly normal for people to starve to death, and any world where children being forced to kill each other on TV is seen as normal and entertaining can't be called anything but violent and cold, but at the same time, The Hunger Games isn't only about that. It's also about doing the right thing, even when that's nearly impossible. This isn't just a book glorifying violence, it's more.

Katniss is quite the character too. From the start, she's a rule-breaker, breaking the rules about hunting - of course, that's simply the only way she and her family: mother and sister, can survive. But, the skills she picks up in hunting will serve her well in the arena, as will the attitude. Katniss is a survivor, and it shows. But, there's more to the games than simply being able to find food and avoid the other tributes. And those games (or not games) are where she's going to have a bit more trouble.

The Hunger Games is a teen book, and it shows with the inevitable love triangle aspect, but that just adds to the struggle for Katniss. Who will she choose? By the end of the Games, the question might be more "who can she choose?" Peeta or Gale? That question will last through the whole trilogy.

Teen book or not, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games is an immensely popular book that will grab the attention of more than just the teen readers out there. If you haven't read it yet, it's well worth the time.

Friday Favourites - Your Favourite Time To Read?

2012-04-27T00:25:00.000-07:00

Friday Favourites - a chance to rave about a favourite reading/book related topic each week.

Sometimes you just want a chance to rave about some favourite aspect of reading that doesn't really come up during regular blogging posts - that's what this is about. I'm willing to bet that at least some of those will come up one week or another.

This week I'm asking what your favourite time to read is.

Please leave either your response in the comments or a link to your response.

My answer is:
Probably the later evenings - just before bed. In reality, it's "any time I can get". I nearly always have a book within reach, but I do like to read in bed at night. There's something soothing about winding down the day with a couple of chapters from a good book. On the other hand, I find myself going "just one more chapter" sometimes. That used to be more common than it is now though. Notable books where I've read into the mornings include: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, Dark Lover, the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward and His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik.

Despite that being my favourite time to read, I sometimes feel as though I get most of my reading done on my breaks at work.

Favourite time or not though, when it comes to a really good book, any time is a good time to read it.

What's your favourite time to read?

Lover Reborn - J.R. Ward

2012-04-25T14:49:00.001-07:00

Lover Reborn
J.R. Ward
NAL Hardcover
Copyright Date: March 27th, 2012
978-0451235848

The amazon.com product description:

#1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward’s novels of the Black Dagger Brotherhood continue as a vampire warrior crosses the line between life and death…and ventures into an erotic world of dark dreams and darker desires.

Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been unrecognizable from the vampire leader he once was. Physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair, he has been brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel. Now, fighting once again with ruthless vengeance, he is unprepared to face a new kind of tragedy.

When Tohr begins to see his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld far from the peace and tranquillity of the Fade—he turns to the angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. But because Lassiter tells him he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed....

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past and a very hot, passion-filled future…but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

Lover Reborn is the tenth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, which starts with the novel Dark Lover. To be honest, although I've been waiting for Tohr's story, this wasn't my favourite of the books to date. I just didn't feel that the focus was there on his story as much. There were just too many other things going on at the same time, and new characters being introdued: Issues between John and Xhex, Layla, Quhinn, Saxton and Blay. Not to mention the main event storyline, a new contender in the realms of "bad guy".

J.R. Ward is heading more in the direction of urban fantasy rather than paranormal romance with this series, I think, coming up with storylines that span several books at a time. Not that that's a bad thing, it just seems to be pushing the "happily ever after" that a romance novel requires slightly out of the center focus. Of course, there hasn't been any real firm boundaries between the two genres at all.

I did like Lover Reborn, despite my grumbling, it's just that it took just over half of the book for the story to really take off. But, once it did, I couldn't put it down - as per normal for the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

The whole series has reached a point in the last few books where it's no longer possible to really read the individual novels out of order, which I think you could do fairly easily with the earlier books. Too much of the story now revolves around the events from the previous books.

Which might be where my frustration with this book came from - I don't want to give any spoilers of any sorts, but I didn't feel as though much of the story was resolved - aside from the requisite happy ending for the two main characters.

Still, as I said, I did enjoy this instalment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and I'm looking forward to the next.

Star Wars Panel To Panel Volume 2 - Randy Stradley

2012-04-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

Star Wars Panel To Panel Volume 2
Randy Stradley
Dark Horse Comics
Copyright: 2007
9781593077938

The amazon.com product description:

From 5,000 years before Luke Skywalker first picked up a lightsaber to nearly 150 years after the events in Return of the Jedi, Dark Horse Comics has chronicled the major events in every era of the Star Wars galaxy in amazing drawings and paintings by some of the most accomplished artists in our own galaxy. In this all-new companion to the first Star Wars Panel to Panel volume, we've spotlighted not only the stunning work of comics' greatest artists, but also the legion of characters Dark Horse has contributed to Star Wars' Expanded Universe - characters who have not only carried the romance and adventure of the galaxy far, far away far beyond the events in the films, but those who have made the jump from the pages of comic books to television and the silver screen! Every Star Wars fan will cherish this look back, forward and beyond!

This one honestly surprised me. I love Star Wars, but I've never been big on graphic novels. As a result, although I have all three of the Rogue Squadron graphic novel omnibus editions, I've yet to read them - and I never really thought I'd be wanting to read the rest of the comics. Now though, I'm intrigued.

Star Wars Panel To Panel Volume 2 takes the reader on a quick trip through Star Wars history as written in the comics from five thousand years before the movies to a hundred years or so after, showing highlights from all the comics and the artists in a full page format with a brief summary of what's going on: who, when and why etc as well as how it fits with the history as given in the movies etc. As a result, most of this book is art-based, making it a very quick, though intriguing work.

As an introduction to the (confusing) world of the Star Wars comics/graphic novels, I think that Panel To Panel serves very well. Now I have a bit more of an understanding of which series fits where, and a definite appreciation for the various styles of art included in the books. Some are more flat appearing, others are just gorgeous, detailed full-page paintings.

Beautifully illustrated and fun, though I wish there had been more detail in the captions. Oh well, I guess I might have to give the graphic novels another try if I really want to know what's going on in the stories referenced.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - April 23

2012-04-23T12:07:00.003-07:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted each Monday by Sheila of Book Journey: Continuing Adventures Of A True Bookaholic...
The idea is to chart the books you've read, the books you are currently reading and the ones you intend to read.

As I noted last week, I've been having trouble finishing books lately. On Tuesday last week I made a list of the books I was reading. None of them have been completed, and the list has only gotten longer. Instead I've been doing things like re-doing the blog layout, photography and the like.

Currently the list of books I'm reading is:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Fiction, science fiction, teen. A re-read of a great novel that I enjoyed a while ago.

Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward. Fiction, paranormal romance. The latest book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I know I said last time that I wasn't racing through this book, but I have to say that that has changed. I'm really enjoying it now.

Facing Up: A Remarkable Journey To The Summit Of Mount Everest by Bear Grylls. Non-Fiction, biography, outdoors. I'm a couple of chapters in now and finding this book to be great reading.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver. Fiction, teen. This is an intriguing one. I've had the book for a while now, and finally started reading it. The world is a weird one, where love is viewed as a disease and everyone is eagerly waiting to get the cure for it, which is given after your eighteenth birthday.

I want to read:
I'm thinking of giving the three omnibus editions of the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron comics by Dark Horse another try. Beyond that, I think I have quite enough on my plate.

Saturday Snapshots - April 21

2012-04-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday Snapshots is a fun little non-book-related meme hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books. The idea is to post a photo that you or a friend or family member has taken.

I've got a couple to post this week:

Here's hoping that the Canucks keep going with the series. I made this cake back around the second game, and only just got around to pulling the photo off of my camera. The cake itself is made from scratch from a recipe that's at least three generations old now. And absolutely delicious!

This was one of my first shots with a macro lens. I have to say I really like the effects it gives, but it's challenging to use too.

Friday Favourites - Your Favourite Audiobook?

2012-04-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

The BBC Radio Play version of The Lord of the Rings. Thirteen hours long, and every minute of it is done extremely well. This isn't simply a narrator doing the whole thing, but a full cast extravaganza. You've got Ian Holm, who does the voice of Frodo, Michael Hordern doing Gandalf's voice, Peter Woodthorpe for Gollum, and he does a really good job of it too, and Robert Stevenson doing Aragorn's voice. On top of that there's the music which is also extremely well done.

So much of this one is taken directly from Tolkien's own descriptions and the dialogue is word for word in many places that the magic is still there. And then, there's the inclusion of the poem Bilbo's Last Song, which is a separate book on it's own, enchantingly illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

When I'm listening to this thing I'm ending up completely involved with the story - laughing along at some points, jumping out of my skin at others - I remember one point where I swear I jumped several inches and ended up having trouble getting to sleep afterwards - and even ending up with tears in my eyes.

This version of the Lord of the Rings is one I've listened to several times now and I love it every time.

So, what's your favourite audio-book, and why?