It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - March 26

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted each week by Sheila of One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books each week. It's a great way to try and keep your reading on track. Thanks Sheila!

Last week I didn't get any books completed, although I did do a fair bit of reading.

I'm currently reading:

In Her Name: Omnibus Edition by Michael R. Hicks. Science Fiction, e-book, fiction. This is the omnibus edition of the trilogy beginning with In Her Name: Empire, which I read through a couple of weeks ago. I have to say, re-reading the first book in the trilogy so soon was just as good this time as it was last time. Now I'm into the section of the book comprising the third book. Absolutely loving it!

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs. Fantasy, urban fantasy, fiction. The first book in the Alpha and Omega series. I've read it before, and I'm finding it just as good a read this time as it was last time.

I don't know off-hand what I want to read as I think I have a fair bit on my plate right now as it is. On the other hand, I got a few books this week, so one of those may be on the list:

Crocheted Afghans: 25 Throws, Wraps and Blankets to Crochet
Melody Griffiths
Cima Books
Copyright: 2009
978-1906525781

The amazon.com product description:

Fill your home with splashes of color with any of these 25 beautiful throws and wraps. Whether you want to make a lovely quilt to pass down from generation to generation or a fireside blanket for winter nights, you will be sure to find a project to cherish as you transform your yarn into a wonderful range of fabrics. The designs for this stunning collection of crocheted afghans, comforters, blankets, and more are inspired by a whole range of sources. You can get an heirloom effect with wraps and throws based on antique lace and traditional textiles or, if your dream is of pioneer patchwork, try one of the patterns influenced by everything American--from Navajo motifs to crazy quilt patchwork. All the information you need is here, provided in a way that is so simple to understand, with charts and detailed instructions for 25 projects, plus 10 extra ideas for ways of using the same instructions to make larger or smaller items, such as bed covers or pillows. And don't be afraid of the professional, luscious look of the blankets you see in the photos--the designs have been created with simplicity in mind, so even novice crocheters will produce exquisite pieces in no time at all. Many of the projects are made up of small, easy-to-work-with squares and motifs, so you can carry on crafting while on the move.

* 25 beautiful pieces that are deceptively simple to make including a lace wrap, Shaker-style throw, wild rose afghan, tartan rug, and more.

* Techniques section shows how to master all the simple skills you need.

Crochet For Bears To Wear
Amy O'Neil Houck
Potter Craft Press
Copyright: 2010
978-0307462121

The amazon.com product description:

What’s cuter than a teddy bear in a sweater?

… A teddy bear wearing a custom-crocheted sweater made just for him! With Amy O’Neill Houck’s simple instructions and lovable, huggable patterns, crocheters of all
skill levels can create fashions for their teddies and friends, including Build-A-Bear
Workshop bears, Vermont Teddy Bear Company bears, and American Girl dolls. In
Crochet for Bears to Wear, you’ll find more than twenty quick-to-crochet garments
and accessories—from sweaters and swimsuits to pajamas, sundresses, and even a
baseball uniform just perfect for spring training.

The patterns provide a fun introduction to a range of techniques and garment
constructions such as seamless top-down crochet, crocheted ribbing, unusual starts
and finishes to garments, lace, colorwork, Aran crochet, and so much more. With
instructions on how to customize each pattern to fi t your own collection of soft toys,
Crochet for Bears to Wear provides everything a crocheter needs to know to keep her
favorite friends covered from tip-top to toe.

Echoes of Betrayal (Paladin's Legacy book 3)
Elizabeth Moon
Del Rey
Copyright Date: February 21, 2012
978-0345508768

The amazon.com product description:

The action continues fast and furious in this third installment of Elizabeth Moon’s celebrated return to the fantasy world of the paladin Paksenarrion Dorthansdotter. This award-winning author has firsthand military experience and an imagination that knows no bounds. Combine those qualities with an ability to craft flesh-and-blood characters, and the result is the kind of speculative fiction that engages both heart and mind.

All is not well in the Eight Kingdoms. In Lyonya, King Kieri is about to celebrate marriage to his beloved, the half-elf Arian. But uncanny whispers from the spirits of his ancestors continue to warn of treachery and murder. A finger of suspicion has been pointed toward his grandmother, the queen of the Ladysforest elves, and that suspicion has only intensified with time and the Lady’s inexplicable behavior. Clearly, she is hiding something. But what? And why?

Meanwhile, in Tsaia, the young king Mikeli must grapple with unrest among his own nobility over his controversial decision to grant the title and estates of a traitorous magelord to a Verrakaien who not only possesses the forbidden magic but is a woman besides: Dorrin, once one of Kieri’s most trusted captains. When renegade Verrakaien attack two of Dorrin’s squires, suspicion and prejudice combine to place Dorrin’s life at risk—and the king’s claim to the throne in peril.

But even greater danger is looming.  The wild offspring of a dragon are on the loose, sowing death and destruction and upsetting the ancient balance of power between dragonkind, humans, elves, and gnomes. A collision seems inevitable. Yet when it comes, it will be utterly unexpected—and all the more devastating for it.

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

The amazon.com product description:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

Impossible to Easy: 111 Delicious Recipes To Help You Put Great Meals On The Table Every Day
Robert Irvine
William Morrow Cookbooks
Copyright: 2010
0061474118

The amazon.com product description:
The host of Food Network's Dinner: Impossible shows busy people how to keep food simple but delicious

Chef Robert Irvine goes where few chefs dare. As the host of Food Network's Dinner: Impossible, he has cooked on a desert island, in an eighteenth-century kitchen, inside an ice hotel, and even for cowpunchers on a cattle drive. In Impossible to Easy, he converts the classical and improvisational kitchen skills he's learned during the past twenty-five years under some of the most challenging conditions into advice to help the home cook achieve mastery in his or her own kitchen.

Irvine shows how to approach ingredients in new and familiar ways, how to plan and execute delicious meals every time, and how to guarantee maximum flavor from every dish. By establishing a few simple organizational, shopping, and storage habits, home cooks can not only get the most out of fresh foods and spices but elevate their everyday meals to a higher level of accomplishment and enjoyment. Here, too, is advice on useful equipment and implements, pantry staples, do-ahead tips, and 111 easy-to-master recipes (many complete with timelines, and half of which are gluten free) that are sure to keep family and friends coming back for more. By separating each process into its constituent parts, anyone can easily create such tasty dishes as Lime-Cured Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder, Porcini-Dusted Pork Chops with Cremini Mushrooms and Golden Raisins over Horseradish-Scented Potatoes, Pommes Frites with Chipotle Aioli, Duck Confit with Three-Bean Cassoulet, Windy City Stovetop Pizza, Braised Asian Pear with Roquefort and Sweet Port Wine Dressing, Banana Chocolate-Hazelnut Crepes, and dozens more right in his or her own home.