Saturday, March 31, 2012

Saturday Snapshots - March 31

Saturday Snapshots is a fun little meme hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books, where you can post a photo taken by you or a friend/family member each week. The photos don't even have to have been taken in that previous week!

Honestly, I'm starting to find this is the meme I look forward to the most now each week. This week I'm posting two images, unrelated.

The first is a photo of Jenny, who looks like she's had a few too many cameras stuck in her face. This particular one was taken by Jeff.


The second is the fiber and singles currently (until this past evening, anyway) on my spinning wheel. I've gotten back into that hobby of mine in a big way in the past few days.


Friday, March 30, 2012

Friday Favourites - Your Favourite Movie Adaptation?

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 movie adaptation of a book is. There's been quite a few of them in recent years: War Horse (coming out on DVD in only a few days), The Eagle, The Hunger Games (in theatres now), Tin Tin, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and others. Some worked, others didn't, and everyone's going to have a different opinion of which ones fit which category.  Old or new, what's your favourite?

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

My Answer:
You might think the obvious answer for me is the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, but actually that's actually not the case. I haven't been to see too many movies, but my favourite adaptation these days is currently the version of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, based on Lisa See's novel of the same name. Of course, that statement may well change when I get to see War Horse or The Hunger Games.

Despite the addition of the modern storyline in the movie, the feeling of the original novel and the characterizations as well as the important themes of friendship and sisterhood remained firmly a part of the movie. And the costuming was stunning to say the least. This is a movie that I've seen twice since Christmas and I know I'm going to be watching it again in the future.

What's your favourite movie adaptation of a book?

Thursday, March 29, 2012

In Her Name: Omnibus Edition - Michael R. Hicks

In Her Name: Omnibus Edition
Michael R. Hicks
Imperial Guard Publishing
Copyright: 2008
978-0615208534

The amazon.com product description:
This trilogy collection contains the first three novels of the bestselling IN HER NAME science fiction & fantasy saga: EMPIRE, CONFEDERATION, and FINAL BATTLE...

EMPIRE

This is the coming-of-age story of Reza Gard, a young boy of the Human Confederation who is swept up in the century-long war with the alien Kreelan Empire. Nightmarish female warriors with blue skin, fangs, and razor sharp talons, the Kreelans have technology that is millennia beyond that of the Confederation, yet they seek out close combat with sword and claw, fighting and dying to honor their god-like Empress. Captured and enslaved, Reza must live like his enemies in a grand experiment to see if humans have souls, and if one may be the key to unlocking an ages old curse upon the Kreelan race. Enduring the brutal conditions of Kreelan life, Reza and a young warrior named Esah-Zhurah find themselves bound together by fate and a prophecy foretold millennia before they were born.

CONFEDERATION

Banished from the Kreelan Empire, Reza is once again a stranger in a strange land as he returns to the human Confederation. Befriended by a marooned Confederation naval officer leading a desperate fight against the Kreelans on a distant colony world, she reunites Reza with Nicole Carré. With their help, he fulfills his childhood dream of becoming a Confederation Marine. Reza will need all the help he can get, for dark forces are at work at the heart of the Confederation, and Reza becomes a pawn in a lethal power struggle that leads him back to the planet Erlang. There, a heartbreaking reunion awaits him, along with the discovery of an ages-old power that the Kreelan Empire will stop at nothing to control.

FINAL BATTLE

Reza awakens in a hospital on Earth after having been in a coma for months. Charged with murder and high treason, he finds himself the scapegoat for a daring plot to assassinate the President of the Confederation. Escaping with the help of Jodi Mackenzie, who is now hunted for what she knows about the death of the president, Reza discovers that something is deeply wrong with the Empire: the warriors have lost their will to fight. Compelled to step into a trap set for him and Jodi, the two once again find themselves bound for Erlang. But this time it is to meet Tesh-Dar, who has been captured. When Reza and Jodi are taken prisoner and sentenced to death, they can only watch as a human armada gathers for a strike against the Kreelan homeworld. But the human fleet - and humanity itself - will be doomed to utter annihilation unless Reza can reach the Empress in time...
What a good book. I'd finished reading the first book, In Her Name: Empire, a couple of weeks before the omnibus edition went free for a day, and immediately started reading the whole thing again on downloading that.

Any book where you can start to re-read it so soon after reading it for the first time is bound to be good, and this one was no exception. Even with the familiarity with the characters, plot etc for the first third of the omnibus edition, the story was compelling me to keep reading.

From the first chapter, Reza's experiences are gripping - all the way through to the end of the first book: Empire - I couldn't just stop reading there, and continued right into Confederation. Confederation and Final Battle felt more like one longer book combined rather than two separate books.

Elements of this Michael R. Hicks work reminded me of several other science fiction authors I liked: David Weber (specifically his co-written series with Steve White), John Scalzi and Robert Heinlein, so in that sense it fits the style of "classic science fiction", but at the same time the story is still very fresh and original.

It did take until part way through the second book to really get a good mental image of what the Kreelan looked like though, which bugged me a bit at times I have to admit. Other than that though, I have no complaints about any of the three books.

In fact, I found that I couldn't put In Her Name down easily at all, and was just waiting for the chance to pick up my e-reader again as soon as I could. Only problem is, I'm having trouble saying anything about the book other than how much I enjoyed it.

The Kreelan are an intriguing race, with a lot of history behind them - Their empire has been around thousands of years longer than any of our civilizations, but one of the things that makes them so unique is their adherence to The Way, something that is is developed throughout the book. The Way is on;y one of the mysteries surrounding the Kreelan. There's also the question of why the Confederation has only seen female warriors, in fact female anythings among the Kreelan to date.

I repeat: In Her Name is five star science fiction, and a book I'm sure to be re-reading. Thankfully there's more books set in this world, including another omnibus edition: In Her Name: Final Battle, and a new release, In Her Name: From Chaos Born. I'm looking forward to reading these titles too.

Monday, March 26, 2012

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 - Melody Griffiths
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
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.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

New Crochet Books

Or, maybe I should say "New to me" as both books are at least a couple of years old. The first is one I saw a couple of years ago, and loved - I just didn't feel confident enough at the time to even think of attempting the projects included. Now, it's a different story, having completed a shawl and started another:

Crocheted Afghans - Melody Griffiths
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.
I can't wait to start on some of these.

The other book was just so charming and cute - besides a very useful concept that I just had to buy it - with the thought that the projects shouldn't be too expensive. The neat idea with this book is that the process of creating the little clothing teaches the steps for doing the same types of things for people, with less time needed (and less wool).

Crochet For Bears To Wear
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.
I've got a few of these in mind already.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Saturday Snapshots - March 24

Saturday Snapshots is hosted each week by Alyce of At Home With Books. The idea is to post a photo or snapshot you or a member of your family has taken. It doesn't even have to have been taken in the past week - although I'm really finding it fun to go out each week and see what I can take these days.


This one was taken yesterday/today. We were planning to see the sunset at the same place I'd taken last week's photo from, but thanks to a book-buying expedition I went on, we were going to miss it, so we stopped at Stanley Park instead (just got to the beach about five minutes before the actual sunset time). This was taken at Third Beach, with the 14-42 lens.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Friday Favourites - Your Favourite Aspect of the Kobo Vox?

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 aspect of the Kobo Vox e-reader is. Or, what your favourite app is?

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

My answer: I know this is more of a limited question than some I have asked, but I started wondering anyway.

For myself, I find that it's the flexibility that I have thanks to the ability to install apps. I've installed the Overdrive Media Console so I can read library books, and because of that, I don't even have to be using my computer to look them up. Because the Kobo Vox is more of a tablet computer type, I can do it all from there, providing I have Wi-Fi access.

Or, and for me, this is the big one. Although I love Kobo, with the Vox, I'm not restricted to only Kobo and any repositories of e-pub books. It is possible, with a little bit of work, to install Amazon's Kindle app to the e-reader, so I have the best of both worlds. That's how I was able to take advantage of Michael R. Hicks sale on the In Her Name omnibus edition - now over.

It's just plain nice to have options. Some days, I find myself using the Vox more for playing games than for reading, others I alternate between reading and game playing.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Fair Game - Patricia Briggs

Fair Game
Patricia Briggs
Ace Hardcover
Copyright: March 6, 2012
978-0441020034

The amazon.com product description:
Patricia Briggs, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson novels, "always enchants her readers." (Lynn Viehl, New York Times bestselling author) Now her Alpha and Omega series-set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalty, and passion- brings werewolves out of the darkness and into a society where fear and prejudice could make the hunters prey...

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...
This latest book in the Alpha and Omega series sucks you right in from page one. Following on from Cry Wolf and Hunting Ground, it's intriguing to see how Anna and Charles are getting on, not to mention how things are going with the Werewolves' entry into public life.

Unlike the previous two books in this spin-off from the Mercy Thompson series though, Fair Game was released in hardcover - and there's no new Mercy Thompson novel waiting that I'm aware of. Still, this story definitely fits my hardcover criterion. Captivating and thrilling, I found that I couldn't put it down easily. And what a twist at the end...

That's definitely something that's going to affect the next book in either series, and personally I can't wait to see what's going to happen.

As with any series though, despite how much I recommend this book, I also suggest starting with the first book. In this case, that's either Moon Called in the Mercy Thompson series or Cry Wolf from this series. If you're a fan of urban fantasy or paranormal romance and you haven't tried either of these series, you should. They've honestly become two of my favourites.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Free Kindle E-Book: In Her Name Omnibus Edition

Free for an unknown amount of time, the omnibus edition of In Her Name is a book I'd jump at. In fact, I have. I've already read the first book - free from the author's website, but I'm going to be glad to read it again in here.

The amazon.com product description:
This trilogy collection contains the first three novels of the bestselling IN HER NAME science fiction & fantasy saga: EMPIRE, CONFEDERATION, and FINAL BATTLE...

EMPIRE

This is the coming-of-age story of Reza Gard, a young boy of the Human Confederation who is swept up in the century-long war with the alien Kreelan Empire. Nightmarish female warriors with blue skin, fangs, and razor sharp talons, the Kreelans have technology that is millennia beyond that of the Confederation, yet they seek out close combat with sword and claw, fighting and dying to honor their god-like Empress. Captured and enslaved, Reza must live like his enemies in a grand experiment to see if humans have souls, and if one may be the key to unlocking an ages old curse upon the Kreelan race. Enduring the brutal conditions of Kreelan life, Reza and a young warrior named Esah-Zhurah find themselves bound together by fate and a prophecy foretold millennia before they were born.

CONFEDERATION

Banished from the Kreelan Empire, Reza is once again a stranger in a strange land as he returns to the human Confederation. Befriended by a marooned Confederation naval officer leading a desperate fight against the Kreelans on a distant colony world, she reunites Reza with Nicole Carré. With their help, he fulfills his childhood dream of becoming a Confederation Marine. Reza will need all the help he can get, for dark forces are at work at the heart of the Confederation, and Reza becomes a pawn in a lethal power struggle that leads him back to the planet Erlang. There, a heartbreaking reunion awaits him, along with the discovery of an ages-old power that the Kreelan Empire will stop at nothing to control.

FINAL BATTLE

Reza awakens in a hospital on Earth after having been in a coma for months. Charged with murder and high treason, he finds himself the scapegoat for a daring plot to assassinate the President of the Confederation. Escaping with the help of Jodi Mackenzie, who is now hunted for what she knows about the death of the president, Reza discovers that something is deeply wrong with the Empire: the warriors have lost their will to fight. Compelled to step into a trap set for him and Jodi, the two once again find themselves bound for Erlang. But this time it is to meet Tesh-Dar, who has been captured. When Reza and Jodi are taken prisoner and sentenced to death, they can only watch as a human armada gathers for a strike against the Kreelan homeworld. But the human fleet - and humanity itself - will be doomed to utter annihilation unless Reza can reach the Empress in time...

Monday, March 19, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - March 19

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted each week by Sheila of One Person's Journey Through A World Of Books.

It's been a while since I posted one of these, and I haven't been doing too many reviews for a bit either. But, I've been reading. Just, due to other circumstances I haven't been up to reviewing much. Hopefully I can start getting things back to normal now.

Since my last post I've read:
In Her Name: Empire by Michael R. Hicks. Fiction, Science Fiction. This was an incredible novel, and I have to read the sequels.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Fiction, Science Fiction. A book I've read several times now.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein. Fiction, Science Fiction. Another re-read.

Caught In Crystal by Patricia C. Wrede. Fiction, Fantasy, E-book. From NetGalley. One of the Lyra series, and a book I really enjoyed reading.

Fair Game by Patricia Briggs. Fiction, Fantasy. The most recent book in the Alpha And Omega Series, comprised of Cry Wolf and Hunting Ground. Definitely a good read, and what a twist at the end. Just finished last night.

I'm currently reading:
The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein. Fiction, science fiction. I call this the "Classic Science Fiction List" just for all the references to classic novels, mostly science fiction.

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. Fiction. Enough people have told me I should that I'm giving this one a try.

Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien. Fiction, Fantasy, Children's. Charming and fun, this is neat to read and recognize echoes of his bigger works.

I want to read:
I'd like to get through the above list, but I'm contemplating re-reading the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs and Kings of the North by Elizabeth Moon.

Caught In Crystal - Patricia C. Wrede

Caught In Crystal
Patricia C. Wrede
Open Road
Copyright: 1989 (2011)
Kindle Edition

The amazon.com product description:
In the magical world of Lyra, an innkeeper is forced to confront her darkest secret
For more than a decade, Kayl has run a modest country inn. She opened it with her husband, and they managed it together until a summer illness took him away, leaving her alone with their two children. The three of them get by, living happily together as the years pass, but everything changes the day a sorceress asks for a room.

Her name is Corrana, and by her silver brooch Kayl knows that she is a member of the order of Sisterhood of Stars, a coven of witches that Kayl left after a secret mission went horribly wrong. Kayl is sure that Corrana has come to take her back to the life she had renounced years before. Now, to save her family and her world, she will have to unlock a side of herself that she buried long ago.
Caught In Crystal was offered to me through NetGalley. Now that that's said, on with the review. This is the first book in the series about the world of Lyra. It's also an edited re-print, IIRC. One of the neatest things I found in this edition was the preface, where Patricia C. Wrede discusses the process of writing, and also how she rewrote the first chapter of Shadow Magic, another of her Lyra novels, and one that I've read. Basically, the chapter is there, in it's original form, with the new version marked, and some explanation of why she made the changes she did. I found it fascinating.

Caught In Crystal flowed, grabbing me each time I started to read it - and that was when I was in front of my computer, reading through Adobe Digital Editions. Not my favourite method. Despite that, I found that I couldn't put the book 'down' as it were, and had to keep reading, especially as I came towards the end of the story.

Patricia Wrede has created a very intriguing world with Lyra - multiple races living together, not always in harmony and some intriguing forms of magic, all blend with a sense of history that left me wanting to read more. Caught In Crystal is set fairly early in that history, giving the background that I wanted back when I was reading Shadow Magic.

Definitely a book I'm going to recommend.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Saturday Snapshot - March 26

Saturday Snapshots is a fun little non-book related meme hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books where you can post a photo or snapshot you or someone you know has taken.

Went out last night and took some photos at a nearby park. I don't often do night shooting, but it was lots of fun, although by the end of the evening it was cold! Worth it though, as this was one of the prizes - as was the sunset itself:


Can't wait to get out and take more photos soon - weather permitting.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Friday Favourites - Your Favourite Aspect Of E-Books?

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 aspect of e-books is.

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

For myself the first thing that comes to mind is the sheer portability of some of the e-ink e-readers out there. The last for weeks and weigh very little. As a result, I'd have to say that my favourite aspect of e-books is portability. I can have a dozen or more books at my fingertips, so there's always going to be something that I want to read there. And, I haven't taken up half my baggage space with books the way I used to when I travelled.

There is a second aspect that  I love too. This one comes from the people I talk to at work, where selling e-readers is one of my jobs. I've had several conversations with people who say how much they love the variable font size, that it's making it easier for them to read again. I love it that the e-readers can open up the worlds of books to people who have a hard time with paper for various reasons.

So, what's your favourite aspect of e-books and e-readers?

Friday, March 9, 2012

Friday Favourites - Your Favourite Cover Art?

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 about your favourite cover art. In many ways it's integral to the book, although they say "Don't judge a book by it's cover", it is a part of the decision process in how you select your reading choices. I know it can for me.

Sometimes I have to shake my head at the cover art choices that people have made over the years - one version of Andre Norton's Beast Master has a tyrannosaurus rex on the cover, when there's nothing like that in the book.

On the other hand, I've seen some truly spectacular examples of cover art. This one is my favourite, to be honest, the trade paperback edition of Jo Graham's novel Hand of Isis. And, although the quote says ""Don't judge a book by it's cover", this one I have to admit to buying on the strength of the cover art. There's something about this cover that seems impressionistic and mysteriously intriguing. And, after reading the book the first time, I found that it fit the story perfectly.

Actually, the cover image also reminds me of some of the encaustic art I've seen in the history books from the later Egyptian/Greek periods of time - I think, it might even be concurrent with the events in the story, making it even more appropriate.

I repeat my question: What's your favourite piece of cover art. Either respond in the comments, or leave a link to your response. I'd love to see it.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Saturday Snapshot - March 3

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

I took this one last summer while camping. Probably taken on auto, but I was attempting to play with depth of field a bit. If my eyes aren't fooling me, these flowers are from a Lavender plant.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Friday Favourites - Your Favourite Book From February?

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 book from the last month was. Which book it was that stuck in your brain and made you want to go "I'm going to want to read that again" , that you enjoyed the most.

For me the answer was, out of a very limited pool of books, Echoes of Betrayal by Elizabeth Moon. I know this is a book that I've been looking forward to reading for almost a year (since I got my hands on and finished reading the previous book, Kings of the North). While a book doesn't always live up to my anticipation, this one did, which is a good part of why it was my favourite for the month.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Book Rambling: Science Fiction Landscapes

It struck me a few days ago that the landscapes behind science fiction novels really aren't that varied in a lot of cases. Or, more specifically, I can't think of any that are set underwater aside from Jules Verne's classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea.

Most of the planets, assuming the story is set on or involves another planet, are pretty Earth-like. For some, that even becomes part of their name. For example, Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. The name comes from the initials stamped on the survey, and those stood for "Parallel Earth. Resources Negligible". (The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall.17)

Some of the classic science fiction, circa that of Heinlein had colonies on Venus and Mars etc, but that assumed that the planets were habitable as is, something that's been more or less disproved since those books were written.

There's Dune, the desert planet as written by Frank Herbert for planets with different climates, but for the most part, aside from movies like the Star Wars series, I can't really think of any others. That's not to say that the Earth-type planets don't have their own challenges.

David Weber's written a number of them. Grayson, although it looked like a paradise had quite a few problems that were only discovered on the colonist's arrival, so they more or less ended up living in sealed environments and in orbit of the planet. Sphynx and Gryphon have a more extreme climate - winters that last for years for example? (A Beautiful Friendship) But still, those planets, for all the extreme weather, still have seasons, breathable atmospheres and all the ingredients for humans to thrive.

I'm having a harder time, as I said, of coming up with planets which aren't suited for human life, but where we've managed to set up lives anyway.

Ideas, anyone?

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