It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 28

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted each week over at Sheila's blog, One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books. Thanks for trying to keep us all on track with our reading, Sheila.

I don't think I finished reading any books last week again.

I'm currently reading:
The Fires of Vesuvius by Mary Beard. Non fiction book on the history and archaeology, though mostly archaeology of the city of Pompeii.

Journey To The Center of the Earth by Jules Verne.

I'm planning to read Stacy Shiff's Cleopatra: A Life, and re-read Shogun by James Clavell. Other than that, we'll see what the next week holds.

In Fire Forged - Ed. David Weber

In Fire Forged
Ed. David Weber
Baen Books
Copyright: 2011
978-1439134146

The amazon.com product description:

Honor Harrington is arguably the most popular character in modern science fiction, but there are many other stories in the Honorverse besides those in which she has the central role. This fifth volume in the popular Worlds of Honor series explores some of those stories with the help of such top writers as best-selling author Jane LIndskjold, New York Times best-selling author Timothy Zahn, and more—including an all-new Honor Harrington adventure, set in her younger years, when a mob of space pirates made the mistake of tangling with Commander Harrington. That was a fatal mistake—for the pirates . . . 

The latest anthology of Honor Harrington short stories follows in the steps of four previous books: Changer of Worlds, Worlds of Honor, More Than Honor and one other, The Service of the Sword. As usual, there's a David Weber story, which I think is the best one of the book. The other two stories were written by Jane Lindskjold and Timothy Zahn. There's also a section on the armour and weaponry in this book as well - which I'll admit to having skimmed rather than read.

I honestly found myself getting a bit lost at times - perhaps because it's been a while since I read some of the more recent Honor Harrington books (if I've read them at all), so for example the first story, I couldn't remember anything about the situation with the Crown Prince for background. Not that that made the story impossible to understand or anything. I certainly couldn't put it down very easily.

Each of the stories is more of a novella than a short story - there's plenty of substance to go around, from the links between the Ballroom and Beowulf and so much more. I loved the touch with the sailboats for example.

I think it's obvious now that the story that really stuck with me is the one by David Weber.

Definitely a recommendation if you like the world of Honor Harrington, but if you don't know and want to give it a try, you should start with On Basilisk Station, the first book in the world.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 21

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted each week over at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. I love this meme as it is a great way to keep on track with reading most of the time.

Last week I read:
Owlsight by Mercedes Lackey. Fantasy, fiction. The second book about Darian Firkin. I really love the Valdemar books published around this era as the illustrations are truly spectacular.

In Fire Forged edited by David Weber. Science fiction. A book of three novellas set in the world of Honor Harrington. Also a section of information on ship weapons and armour.

I'm currently reading:
Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Verne. I'm getting there now - about three quarters of the way through the book and enjoying it.

In Dreams Begin by Skyler White. Still struggling with this one.

The Fires of Vesuvius by Mary Beard. Non Fiction, history, archaeology. Slow going, but I'm quite enjoying this read. Mary Beard has a great writing style going.

I'm planning to read:
Snow Flower And The Secret Fan by Lisa See. This will be a re-read, and only if I can find my copy of the book.

Book Rambling: Shared Titles

The title is one of the ways your eye is drawn to a book - along with the cover art, (and of course, don't forget the author's name) with the intent of getting you to pick up the book and see what it's about (by reading at least the blurb, or preferably, the whole book). So, a unique title at least will be a great help in that goal.

Of course, with a limited number of words in any language, the inevitable will happen every now and again and a title will be duplicated. The example of that which sticks in my head the most is the one shown here: Once A Hero by Elizabeth Moon, a science fiction novel set in the world of the Serrano family and also a fantasy novel by Michael A. Stackpole of the same title, which is set in a very interesting and unique world. I've read and enjoyed both books a few times now (and writing this out is making me want to re-read the Michael A. Stackpole book). But they're not alone. Amazon.com comes up with about 80 results with the search term "Once A Hero".

And then there's the Rosemary Sutcliffe book titled The Eagle which I've seen in my local bookstore. I know it's a re-titling too, and done to tie in with the movie called The Eagle (which I'd like to see), though I'm honestly not a hundred percent sure of the original title. There's also a Jack Whyte novel, also about the Roman period in Britain, which is of the same title.

Sometimes even books with similar titles can get confusing too: for example Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarrion books: Oath of Gold (the third book in the Deed of Paksenarrion) and Oath of Fealty, the most recent book she's published. Every now and then, I get the two confused in my head for a minute. Or the Blood series by Tanya Huff. Except for the last book, Blood Debt, I have no clue as to the reading order without actually looking at any of the books, nor can I remember which events are tied to which books.

Most of the time it doesn't bother me, because I know which book I'm referring to, but now and again, it gets confusing when I'm talking to others. What's your take on books with shared titles?

Writing Horses - The Fine Art of Getting It Right - Judith Tarr

Writing Horses - The Fine Art Of Getting It Right
Judith Tarr
Book View Cafe
Copyright: November 2010

The amazon.com product description:

How far can a horse travel in a day? What does a horse eat? When is a brown horse really a sorrel (or a bay, or a dun)? What do tack and withers and canter mean?

In this long-awaited and much-requested book based on her "Horseblog" at Book View Café, author and horse breeder Judith Tarr answers these questions and many more. She looks at horses from the perspective of the writer whose book or story needs them as anything from basic transport to major plot device, and provides definitions, explanations, and links and references for further research--leavened with insight into the world of the horse and the humans who both use and serve him.

How fast can a horse run? What happens when a foal is born? How have humans and horses evolved together over the millennia? And above all, what mistakes do writers most often make when writing about horses, and how can the educated writer avoid them?

Here is a guide to the fine art of getting it right. 

 I got given a copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer's program, and it wasn't for the Kindle, so if some of the things I mention in here do work better there, please correct me.

First off, I have to say I really liked reading Writing Horses. The chapters flowed together well and made sense - but then, Judith Tarr is a professional writer, and one who I've enjoyed reading many a time, most recently with her short story in Finding The Way and Other Tales of Valdemar.

One thing that's made very clear is that the author knows horses and has had a wide range of experiences with them, from riding to breeding and training. As I understand it, Writing Horses: The Fine Art Of Getting It Right is based on blog posts that Judith Tarr has written, which is where a lot of the informal style of the chapters seems to come from.

Although the book seems to be written mostly for those who've had little experience with horses, I found that it had plenty of tidbits for people with more experience as well (In my case several years of riding lessons years ago, and lots of reading). Much of it was basic, but, as I said, there were things in the book that a lot of the horse-care books I have didn't cover, such as some of the genetics and alternate terminology (eg, for Western riding, most of what I have is focused on English style). And then there's the bits such as on breeding and training too.

If you're interested in writing, the book is neat for another reason too - the way it's written serves to possibly spark ideas to work from as well. Possible problems to resolve - eg. horse health issues and the like.

Now, I was reading this book in e-pub format on my Kobo e-reader,and I found a couple of things that were slightly frustrating. Possibly they come from the book being formed from blog posts but perhaps it's also a limitation of the e-reader I'm using. Specifically I'm referring to the links scattered through the text. Some of them looked to be quite interesting potentially, but I couldn't get to them. There's no access to that kind of thing on the Kobo, and the urls weren't actually given anywhere for me to check them later on my computer. Same thing in the further references section. But, it's a minor thing really given the rest of the book, which is packed full of information and well illustrated with photos to boot.

Overall, I found Writing Horses: The Fine Art Of Getting It Right to be a very useful resource for anyone who likes horses and likes writing.

Owlsight - Mercedes Lackey

Owlsight
Mercedes Lackey
Daw Books
Copyright: 1999
978-0886778033

The amazon.com product description:

It has been four years since Darian saw his village sacked and burned by barbarians. Taking refuge with the Hawkbrothers, he soon finds his life's calling--as a Healing Adept. But even as he learns the mystical ways of this ancient race, Darian cannot escape the dangers threatening his future. Another tribe of barbarians is approaching. The time has come...to stand up and fight.

Owlsight is the second book in the trilogy about Darian. Fair warning: at this time there isn't a review of Owlflight (the first book in the set) planned, as I simply skipped reading that book. You know you've re-read a series enough times when you can simply pick it up at any time and point in the books.

Although the whole set is about Darian, Owlsight does introduce several new characters who quickly caught my attention - particularly Keisha, who's acting as the Errold's Grove healer, even though she's not fully trained in her Gift.

Yes, Owlsight is set in the world of Valdemar, specifically after the Mage Storms. One of the things that makes this set of books different from most of the others is that although it is set in the country of Valdemar, the Heralds aren't the central characters, nor is it set within Haven and the Palace. Instead the characters are more ordinary - if you can call a Healing Adept normal. But still, their concerns and interests make them more so.

I love getting a better picture of how the people actually live. Keisha spends part of the book doing embroidery and making threads etc. I love the beginning part of the book where she's discussing finding and making a good red dye - and then she's using it. And you see how the village actually works. The mayor, the interactions and all that.

Also, like many of Mercedes Lackey's books, Owlsight is just as suited for teen readers as it is for adults, and I think the story would interest them too.

But this is also a middle book, to be honest. It leaves quite a bit to be finished in the third book of the series - Owlknight. Still, I really like it, especially in the hardcover, where the spectacular illustrations by Larry Dixon really shine.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 14

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted over at One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books. Thanks Sheila for keeping me on track with my reading (most of the time).

This was not a good week for reading, as I can't think of a single book I actually finished.

I'm currently reading:
In Dreams Begin by Skyler White. Fantasy, fiction. I'm having a few problems with this one. It seems like a book I should love, but I'm struggling to really get into the read.

Journey To The Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. Fiction.

The Fires of Vesuvius by Mary Beard (still on the list). Non Fiction, history, archaeology.

Owlsight by Mercedes Lackey. Fantasy, fiction, one of the books set in the Valdemar world.

I'm planning to read:
In Fire Forged edited by David Weber. An anthology of novellas set in the world of Honor Harrington.

E-Readers?

There are frequent posts out there on the merits of e-readers in general. I have one and love it (I went with the Kobo). That's not what this post is. What this post is about is the particulars of the different E-readers on the market.

I can talk up the Kobo well enough, but I can't answer most of the questions I get about the other e-readers: the Sony, the Kindle, the Nook etc. For example, I've heard from some people that the Barnes & Noble E-reader has the ability to do colour.

One of the other key questions concerns battery life. The Kobo typically lets me read between four and six books (full novels) before I have to recharge the battery. And the charging time is about three to four hours. So, what is it for the other major e-readers out there?

And formats? I've heard that the Kindle is restricted to buying books from Amazon only. But I think I've seen hints that there may be books for the Kindle elsewhere. Which also lets out the ability to use the library e-book system. But what about the Sony and the Nook? I know the Kobo uses both the e-pub format and pdf. I've seen some hints that at least some of the Sony e-readers do too (they can use books bought at the Kobo store). But, I don't know for sure.

What to you are the advantages of the e-reader you chose? The ability to take notes? To do more than just read a book? I'd like to know. I went with the Kobo, partly because it was the first one I could afford and it was there. I'm glad of the choice I made, but I'd still like to know more about the other options out there (partly because it is a part of my job to try and sell the Kobo e-reader, and it would help me to be able to answer people's questions better).

Thanks. Your opinions are very welcome on this subject.

Book Rambling: Jagged Pages

There's been what seems to be a growing trend in book publishing in recent years, I've found: the use of jagged pages (what I understand to be termed "deckled") in books. The first book I remember noticing this in was either the trade paperback edition of The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis or The Sorcerer: The Fort At The River's Bend.

Since then, I've found it in a number of books - mostly in the trade paperbacks. Editions of Lisa See's book Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, for example. Although, the Fagles translation of The Aeneid is a hardcover with a deckled edge to the page. But, most of the time I see these books, it's the trade-paperbacks, and generally in the fiction department.

Personally, these jagged edges are something I find somewhat annoying - mostly because they get in the way of turning the pages easily. Instead of getting one page, half the time, it ends up being several, all the way to the next page that's sticking out the most. Reading these, forces me to change the way I hold and turn the pages: from the top or bottom, rather than the side (once or twice, it's been enough to make me accidentally rip the page a bit), or it slows down my reading by making me flip back and forth a few times to get to the page I want.

What's your take on deckled or jagged edges on a book? Not something to be bothered about? an annoyance? or does it factor into your enjoyment of a book at all or not?

My other question on the topic is whether or not the use of these edges is growing or not (meaning was I just not being observant before and not noticing them)?

Little Princes - Conor Grennan

Little Princes: One Man's Promise To Bring Home The Lost Children Of Nepal
Conor Grennan
William Morrow Publishing
Copyright: January 2011
978-0061930058

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. 

I picked this book up initially because I was intrigued by the cover, and also because Nepal sounded interesting. Was it ever! The description above sums Little Princes up very well, without giving away too much detail.

Although the beginning of the book had me wondering a bit, once Conor met up with the children at the orphanage, the whole thing took off. I ended up racing through it in two days, unable to put it down. Each one of the children was so incredibly strong given what they'd been through.

And watching the author change from being a guy who's not sure what he's doing to the man he is at the end of the book is a wonderful process as well. At the beginning it sounds as though he's using the time volunteering to justify his later travels, but by the end of the period described in the book, the author has started a non-profit organization of his own: Next Generation Nepal to do what he can for these kids, including where possible, reuniting them with their families.

There's plenty of tension and excitement in the book too, as well as the "awww" moments where Conor is trekking through remote regions of Nepal as winter was setting in. Is he going to make it back to the city in time?

The varying happy endings really make the book - but although these kids have a happy ending in the book, with the author able to find their families, there are evidently many others still living at risk in Nepal, though thanks to Conor, it's at least twenty six fewer than there were (that being the number that the children's home he opened is able to house).

Finally, a note at the end of Little Princes states that part of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to support Next Generation Nepal.

I honestly can't recommend this book enough. It's an absolutely incredible read, tied to a good cause.

Teaser Tuesday - Feb. 8

Teaser Tuesday is hosted each week over at Should Be Reading. The rules are as follows:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week, the book is In Dreams Begin by Skyler White, although I'm still reading the book I used last week.
My teaser:

"I have a secret name," he whispers, "a magic one I chose when I was initiated into the Golden Dawn to which Miss Jameson will never be admitted. Laura, can you hear me?"

In Dreams Begin, page 89.

Brian Jacques Died

I just found out thanks to Twitter that Brian Jacques, author of the Redwall series died. While I haven't read his books in a long time, I do remember reading and loving quite a few of them when I was a kid.

I remember buying one in a used bookstore in England on my first trip there back in the '90's. I'd finished the LOTR (yet again) and saw this one. Can't remember though, if it was a used bookstore, or a thrift store. Either way, I remember loving it, and borrowing a bunch of them from the local library over the following years.

He will be missed, though I think his books will be loved by all ages for years to come.
There's a lovely little post over at Tor Books.

Book Rambling: Anne McCaffrey and Music

While writing up my review of Anne McCaffrey's novel Killashandra, the second book in her Crystal Singer world, earlier this morning I started to get sidetracked into thoughts on music in her writings, namely that Anne McCaffrey seems to give music a much greater role in her science fiction and fantasy than many other authors I've read. Rather than continue to expand on them there, however much or little it ends up being, I decided to make it into its own post.

In the Crystal Singer series, the place of music is obvious - it's practically central to the whole concept of the world - Killashandra Ree, the main character has a strong musical background, she spent ten years of her life training as a voice soloist. When that didn't work out, she discovered the Crystal Singers, more professionally known as the Heptite Guild of Ballybran. The main requirement for that job was to have perfect pitch. All three of the books in this series have a focus on music: the Optherian Sense Organ in Killashandra, for example, and the communications with the Jewel Junk in Crystal Line, although admittedly the connection there is less. But still, there are musical references scattered throughout this whole series.

The other big example is, of course, Helva, the Ship Who Sang, the first of the Brain Ships Anne McCaffrey wrote about,  in the novel of the same name. Now, it's been a long time since I read that book to be honest, so I can't say too much about it any more (besides the obvious, that I need to re-read it), but it certainly does factor in.

It's been just as long since I read any of the Petaybee books, even the new ones (Changelings and Malestrom) set in that world: Power Lines, Power Play and The Powers That Be, that I've forgotten most of the details, although not the main discovery that the planet itself is sentient. Anyway, I don't recall there being anything unusual about the use of music or not in that world. Again, I'm discovering that I need to re-read.

However, the Pern books come to mind. There, music and songs are used to teach the population, with the organization planned that way as of Dragonseye, where the writing of teaching songs and history songs is explored. While that's not overly unusual - there are a number of fantasy type books where music and singers have that kind of a role, Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books come to mind with the Bardic Collegium, right off the top of my head, I can't think of any off hand where there are books where the main character belong to such an organization. Anne McCaffrey has four such in the Pern series: the Harper's Hall (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums) series and Masterharper of Pern.

Even in the Pern books where the Harpers take more of a back-seat role, there's still a lot of music: quotes from the songs for example come to mind.

After listing all this out, I can't come to any really earthshaking conclusions here to finish the post off. Given that, I'd say it fits the category of Book Rambling. It would most likely earn a definite failing grade as an essay! Posting anyway.

Killashandra - Anne McCaffrey

Killashandra
Anne McCaffrey
Del Rey
Copyright: 1986
978-0345316004

The amazon.com product description:

At first Killashandra Ree's ambitions to become a Crystal Singer, get rich, and forget her past, were going just as she had hoped. But after she grew wealthy, a devastating storm turned her claim to useless rock. In short order she was broke, she had crystal sickness so bad she thought she was going to die, and the only way she could be true to the man she loved was to leave him....

Killashandra is the sequel to Crystal Singer and is followed by the book Crystal Line. Where the first book was mostly set on Ballybran, and set up the world for this series, this one is set off-world, on the world of Opthera. A world of two different life styles. There's the city life-style, which appears to be very controlled and regimented, and then there's the lives lived by the islanders. But not everything is as it seems. There's definitely some strong undercurrents going on in this story and a lot of deception. Will Killashandra be up to sorting everything out while at the same time fulfilling her contracted duties of repairing the famed Optheran organ - on top of her own personal problems?

Where some middle books show that they are middle books by leaving everything unresolved for the third book of the series, this is most definitely not the case in Killashandra. Frankly, this book is even better than Crystal Singer, given the levels of excitement and adventure going on in the story - and the two completely different worlds of the planet. Honestly, I think this one is my favourite of the three books.

Anne McCaffrey has a knack for building intriguing worlds, and she's succeeded here, with a universe of variety. No two worlds are alike. There's Opthera of the sense organ, Ballybran, the world of singing crystal - which would be incredible to experience, and music weaves through all of the worlds, though I think I'll take the rest of this thought train and make it its' own post before it completely hijacks this book review.

As I noted in my review of Crystal Singer, this series is one that's stood up to the years quite well. From 1985-1987 to now, and the books are just as good reading now as they were back in the '90's. There doesn't seem to be anything too dated - and the various quotations and musical pieces mentioned rather make sense that they'd last as long as they have.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? February 7

It's Monday! What Are You Reading has spent an incredible year at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books now. Which is hard to believe. It seems like it was just a week or two ago that I was linking to it at J. Kaye's Book Blog. Where did the time go?

Anyway, I had a good week in reading, though not so good in terms of reviewing.

This past week I read:
Crystal Line by Anne McCaffrey. Science Fiction, the sequel to Killashandra.
Little Princes by Conor Grennan. Biography. An absolutely incredible book that I can't recommend enough. The link does not go to a review, but to another post discussing the book.
All Employees Are Marketers by Richard Parkes Cordock. An e-book. Non-fiction. An interesting perspective on business.
Overtime by Charles Stross. Science Fiction. Short story.

I'm currently reading:
In Dreams Begin by Skyler White
The Fires of Vesuvius by Mary Beard
Journey To The Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

I'm honestly not sure what I want to read after this. Perhaps Silver Borne again (Just got the mass market paperback version).

Little Princes and Three Cups Of Tea

I just finished reading Little Princes by Conor Grennan last night, and loved it. I haven't read Three Cups Of Tea yet, but I've been comparing the two books at work, based on the description for the latter book. The amazon.com blurb for Little Princes is:

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. 

The description for Three Cups of Tea is: 

The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard
Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit. 

 I really do think that, based on the descriptions, anyone who liked Three Cups of Tea might really enjoy reading Little Princes and vice versa. I know I'm going to have to read this book sooner or later.

But, anyway, would anyone who's read both books be willing to tell me if I'm completely off base in my thought that they are similar and would appeal to anyone who's liked one or the other of the two?

Overtime (Short Story) - Charles Stross

Overtime
Charles Stross
Tor Books

The amazon.com product description:

Introduced to readers in the novels The Atrocity Archive and The Jennifer Morgue, the Laundry is a secret British government agency charged with preventing dark interdimensional entities from destroying the human race.  Now, in "Overtime," the Laundry is on a skeleton staff for Christmas — leaving one bureaucrat to be all that stands between the world and annihilation by the Thing That Comes Down Chimneys. Written especially for Tor.com’s holiday season, Charles Stross’s novelette is a finalist for the 2010 Hugo Award.

I've never read anything by Charles Stross before, but looking at the blurbs on the backs of his other books, I'd thought they looked interesting. So, when I got a chance to download this one, I didn't think twice (I don't think I even read the blurb).

It was only when I started reading the story and going "what?" that I realized that it was part of an established universe. Overtime is a Christmas themed story, and a funny one, given the way the author plays with all of the Christmas traditions we take for granted. The story also made me curious about the books set in this world. I may well have to check them out further. Not to mention the other books Charles Stross has written.

Being a short story, I'm not sure what else I can say without spoiling the story. However, I will note that it had me laughing out loud on the transit system while reading it, and the poetry is hilarious. Doesn't everyone have to play with that old chestnut "The Night Before Christmas" at least once?

Teaser Tuesday - Feb. 1

Teaser Tuesday is hosted over at Should Be Reading (and isn't that a great title for a blog. It certainly is exactly what I should be doing). This is the description of the meme:
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Perhaps this isn't that good of a week to attempt this meme for the first time, as the only book I'm really reading right now is non-fiction. Oh well.

My teasers:

One particularly intriguing find from Pompeii itself is a couple of wax tablets discovered stashed away with some silverware in the furnace of a set of baths. They record a loan from one woman, Dicidia Margaris, to another, Poppaea Note, an ex-slave.

The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost And Found by Mary Beard. Page 182.

Crystal Singer - Anne McCaffrey

Crystal Singer
Anne McCaffrey
Del Rey
Copyright: 1985
978-0345327864

The Amazon.com product description:

Her name was Killashandra Ree. And after ten grueling years of musical training, she was still without prospects. Until she heard of the mysterious Heptite Guild who could provide careers, security, and wealth beyond imagining. The problem was, few people who landed on Ballybran ever left. But to Killashandra the risks were acceptable....

I first read the Crystal Singer trilogy back some time in the late 1990's and I've enjoyed it off and on since then. This book sets up the world quite well, with some very intriguing premises. I will say that the description doesn't say a heck of a lot about the story, though it does say quite a bit about the main character. But, that leaves plenty for you to discover as you read your way through all three books.

Crystal Singer is the first book, followed by Killashandra and Crystal Line (which I'm reading now). They're not overly long reads by today's standards, at just over 300 pages more or less, but although these books are over twenty years old (25+ for Crystal Singer), they've held up to the tests of time very well, at least in my opinion.

Personally, I quite like the way Anne McCaffrey has created this universe - though I'm still not sure if it's an entirely separate universe than some of her other books. None of they others make any mention of crystal for communications or other uses, but the Crystal Singer books do use the Brain/Brawn ships of the Brain Ships books.

Crystal Singer sets up the world quite nicely, making a complete story in itself. But, I think the best ones are the two books that follow this one.

Not the greatest books, I have to admit, but like Mercedes Lackey's stories these are books that I've been able to enjoy reading just for the escape factor.