Saturday Snapshots - December 31st 2016

Saturday Snapshots is a meme hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. The rules of the game are:

To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Personally, I find that this is one of the most fun memes that I've participated in. Not to mention that it's a bit of an incentive to get out and take more photos every week!

I'm sticking with the Christmas theme for the first photo - taken at my cousin's place on Christmas Day. I had a bit of fun experimenting with my camera using their Christmas tree as a target. In the process, I figured out how to change flash modes on my new camera - a completely different process from the last one.

The second image was a bit of a surprise. We hadn't realized it was still that cold at our favorite park for photography walks. Usually we see plenty of rabbits and birds there, but not so much this past week. On the other hand, we did see a pair of bald eagles. Unfortunately, they were still too far away for decent photographs - and I ran into a hazard of using auto-focus rather than manual: the camera focused on the branches just beneath the eagles, rather than the eagles themselves.

Still, I liked how this one turned out:

I'm going to throw in a third image too - an older one from Whytecliff Park:

Well, as 2016 comes to an end, I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year with all the best wishes for the year to come!

New Arrival: Europe: Chained By History - Larry J. Hilton

For the first time in a few years I accepted a book for review, and it arrived in my mailbox today:

Europe: Chained By History
Larry J. Hilton
Newport Publishing
Copyright: 2015
978-0996786119

The amazon.com product description:

A Plea for Europe to form a United States of Europe

Europe: Chained by History is a groundbreaking book that uses history to make a compelling case for Europe to form a United States of Europe--or risk seeing the European Union come apart individually.

Using the history of Vienna from its inception to 1938, readers are invited to observe Western Europe from within this ancient city.

• Where did historic rivalries among European nations begin?
• How did the Enlightenment affect Europe and the United States?
• What persistent darkness allowed Hitler to lead the word in to a second devastating world war?
• What will it take for today's European Union to survive?

Author Larry J. Hilton explores these questions, and more, by using fascinating details about what it was really like to live in Vienna from the the first century through the days of hyper-inflation after World War 1.

Thought provoking and well researched, Europe: Chained by History radiates hope even as it details the formidable & political obstacles to European unity. In the end, a banking or ISIS crisis will force the issue.

As I said above, this is the first book for review that I've accepted in a few years now. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Europe: Chained By History.

My 10 favorite photos from 2016

In the last year I've gotten back into photography in a big way - finally I've started teaching myself how to use my camera on modes other than "automatic" after about ten years of promising myself I'd do so. I've also been getting out with the camera more regularly. As a result, I've had quite a few more photos to share.

Many of these I've shared here already in other posts, such as the various Saturday Snapshots posts I participate in. Other Saturday Snapshots posts I've done are made up of older photos that I've taken over the years but never processed into something I liked.

On to the photos:

1. Tofino Sunset 2:

The most spectacular sunset I saw at Tofino through two separate camping trips last year. The sheer range of color still amazes me.

2. Tofino Sunset:

This was taken earlier in the same day as the sunset above. Green Point Campground near Tofino is really a spectacular place!

3. Great Horned Owl:

This one was a real stroke of luck, as one of the other people on the path pointed the bird out to us. Said bird seemed more than happy to pose for the camera though after we spotted it.

4. Mushrooms:

You can't always stand, crouch or squat to get the photo you want. This one and all my other mushroom photos resulted in muddy knees and elbows as I tried to get the camera closer and closer to the ground for some different perspectives. However, it was definitely worth doing for this one!

5.  Twilight Mushroom:

For this one, I ended up using the flashlight on my phone as a secondary light-source as twilight was fast approaching. First time using the technique and I'm quite happy with how it worked out. No idea what kind of mushroom it was though, and this time I was able to keep my knees and elbows clean by sacrificing the jacket I'd been wearing by kneeling on it.

6.  Thistle:

A thistle that looks a bit like a firework. There's something about flowers on a dark background like this that I really like. I'm still trying to figure out how to get that effect consistently though - without simply imposing it in post-processing.

7. Warbler:

A flock of birds. a fruit tree and a convenient window. The three elements do sometimes combine to create a nice image, and this one was the best result I had. The consensus is that it's some kind of warbler.

8. Rose with Droplets:

One of the rarer times when I was deliberately attempting to set up an image and not just taking advantage of something already together - i.e. a garden flower and bees. I've been fascinated by photos of flowers with droplets of water and this was one of the photos from my first attempt at taking my own pictures.

9. Night Sky:

My first successful attempt at night-sky photography. This is definitely an area that I'm planning to practice more of, as I found it really enjoyable. Just need to find an area that's truly dark enough at night though I think.

10. Rabbit Portrait:

A fairly tame rabbit I was seeing regularly at Rathtrevor Provincial Park. A bit too willing to pose for my photographs if you know what I mean.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - December 26th, 2016

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is one of the longest lasting book-memes I know of. I've been a participant since the days it was hosted over at J Kaye's Book Blog, and then on Book Journey. Now It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at Book Date.

The idea of It's Monday! What Are You Reading is to share the books you read last week and also what you are currently reading. I've discovered the hard way that it's a dangerous meme for your TBR piles as frequently I end up adding books to my wishlist thanks to the intriguing descriptions and reviews that others share.

Here's hoping that everyone had a great Christmas or whichever winter holiday you and your family celebrates!

Last week I finished reading one book - and it wasn't either of the books I'd been reading the week before.

Guilty Pleasures 
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley
Reprint edition: 2004:
978-0425197547

The Amazon.com product description:

Published over ten years ago by Ace, Guilty Pleasures marked the debut of a series that was destined to grow from cult favorite to a major New York Times bestseller. Now, for long-time Anita Blake junkies and newfound fans, Guilty Pleasures makes its trade paperback debut. Readers will learn how Anita Blake started raising the dead-and killing the undead. And how she met Jean Claude, the master vampire destined to become not only her biggest nemesis, but her greatest lover...

A snippet from my review:

...Guilty Pleasures is the first book in the series, it both stands alone and serves as an introduction to an interesting world. One where the supernatural is known about and has a legal place. In that, this series is similar to the books by Patricia Briggs, except that most of the legal wrangling has already happened here. That's one of the things about this series that I remember enjoying the last time around - that rather than complete secrecy being one of the driving elements of the story (for example the J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood books, or Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters series), there are actual legal procedures to follow and things are more open. Perhaps not all the details, but the broad strokes are known about - not that that erases all the prejudice.

I'm currently deep into the second book in the series, The Laughing Corpse.

Books I'm currently reading:

The Fiery Cross
Diana Gabaldon

The amazon.com product description:

The dazzling fifth volume of Diana Gabaldon’s extraordinary Outlander saga, featuring 18th-century Scotsman James Fraser and his 20th-century time-traveling wife, Claire Randall.

The year is 1771, and war is coming. Jamie Fraser’s wife tells him so. Little as he wishes to, he must believe it, for hers is a gift of dreadful prophecy—a time-traveler’s certain knowledge.

Born in the year of Our Lord 1918, Claire Randall served England as a nurse on the battlefields of World War II, and in the aftermath of peace found fresh conflicts when she walked through a cleftstone on the Scottish Highlands and found herself an outlander, an English lady in a place where no lady should be, in a time—1743—when the only English in Scotland were the officers and men of King George’s army.

Now wife, mother, and surgeon, Claire is still an outlander, out of place, and out of time, but now, by choice, linked by love to her only anchor—Jamie Fraser. Her unique view of the future has brought him both danger and deliverance in the past; her knowledge of the oncoming revolution is a flickering torch that may light his way through the perilous years ahead—or ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes....

Grand, sweeping, utterly unforgettable, The Fiery Cross is riveting entertainment, a vibrant tapestry of history and human drama.

Sadly, this book seems to be dropping down my priority list. I have to admit that I haven't read any of it in the past week.

The second book is also one I started last week and have yet to finish:

Hand of Isis
Jo Graham

The amazon.com blurb:

Charmian is handmaiden to Cleopatra. She is also an oracle, gifted with ancient memories that may hold the key to preserving Egypt. Through blood and fire, war and peace, love and death, she will face a desperate struggle that will remake the future of the world.

Shortlisted for the Locus Best First Novel Award, included in The Amazon Editors' Top Ten List in Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2008 and the Locus Recommended Reading List, with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, Jo Graham is one of the most exciting new voices to come out of historical fantasy in recent years.

This is the book that's getting the lion's share of my reading attention right now - partly because it's on my Kobo, so I can read for a bit after we turn the lights out.

Also on my Kobo, so it's getting some more attention is the third book I'm currently reading:

The Laughing Corpse
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley Books
Copyright: 1994
978-0425204665

The amazon.com product description:

The early Anita Blake novels find new life in trade paperback-as perfect collectibles for long-time fans or as great ways for new readers to sink their teeth into the series.
In The Laughing Corpse, a creature from beyond the grave is tearing a swath of murder through St. Louis. And Anita will learn that there are some secrets better left buried-and some people better off dead...

I've been plugging away at this one fairly strongly since I started it on Saturday. Not that I had a lot of reading time yesterday. Instead I ended up working on one of my sock-projects (ripping out the entirety of the heel flap as far as I'd knit it (14 rows) to get down to a dropped stitch, then starting again). Now I have the correct number of stitches, it's time to start that section again.

I got a couple of books over the last week as well:

Tempest
Ed. Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books
Copyright: 2016

The amazon.com product description:

Twenty-four authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm.

The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom’s ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages—and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents—combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more—make them indispensable to their monarch and realm. Sought and Chosen by mysterious horse-like Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. The Heralds of Valdemar and their Companions ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.

Now, twenty-three authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm.

Join Elizabeth Vaughan, Fiona Patton, Jennifer Brozek, Brenda Cooper, Rosemary Edghill, and others in twenty-two original stories, including a brand-new novella by Mercedes Lackey, to Valdemar, where:

A Herald must crack an ancient code in a historic tapestry in order to arbitrate a dispute over land and lineage…

A Healer’s daughter flees the noble family that has trapped and enslaved her mother, and must seek help to free her mother…

A young woman who hides her clairvoyant powers from her town’s Karsite priests ForeSees a threat, and must risk revealing her Gift to save her community…

A Herald finds his assistant has been abducted by a man upon whom he had levied a heavy fine, and must foil the kidnapper’s plans to save his charge…

I'm waiting to start this one in January as the first book for my Valdemar Reading Challenge. Looking forward to it too.

And finally, a very nice Christmas gift:


The Hobbit Facsimile First Edition
J.R.R. Tolkien
HarperCollins
Release Date: September 22, 2016
978-0007440832

The amazon.com blurb:

This sumptuous gift set includes a replica of the very rare first edition of The Hobbit, the only edition where one can now read the original version of the story before Tolkien re-edited it to become the one enjoyed by readers since 1951. The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937, with a print run of 1,500 copies. With a beautiful cover design, nearly a dozen black & white illustrations and two black & red maps by the author himself, the book proved to be popular and was reprinted shortly afterwards. History was already being made. The scarcity of the first edition has resulted in copies commanding huge prices, way beyond the reach of most Tolkien fans. In addition, subsequent changes to the text - particularly those to chapter 5, when Tolkien decided in 1947 to revise the text to bring it better into accord with events as they were developing in its 'sequel', The Lord of the Rings - mean that the opportunity to read the book in its original form and format has become quite difficult. This special printing reprints the first edition, so that readers of all ages - not just 'children between the ages of 5 and 9', as Rayner Unwin famously declared in his report on the original submission - can finally enjoy Tolkien's story as it originally appeared.

I've been waiting for this one to actually be released since it was announced for the 75th anniversary!
Yes, I started looking through it first thing after opening it yesterday. One note: the slipcase is so very tight that if I'm not very careful, I might end up damaging the book itself. I do see myself reading this one with the current edition of The Hobbit sitting there as well so I can cross-reference between the two editions.

Also a fun idea, sitting and reading The Hobbit while listening to all three of the movie soundtracks (another Christmas gift).

Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton

Guilty Pleasures 
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley
Reprint edition: 2004:
978-0425197547

The Amazon.com product description:

Published over ten years ago by Ace, Guilty Pleasures marked the debut of a series that was destined to grow from cult favorite to a major New York Times bestseller. Now, for long-time Anita Blake junkies and newfound fans, Guilty Pleasures makes its trade paperback debut. Readers will learn how Anita Blake started raising the dead-and killing the undead. And how she met Jean Claude, the master vampire destined to become not only her biggest nemesis, but her greatest lover...

It's been long enough since I read Guilty Pleasures that when I began rereading it a few days ago, it was almost like I'd never read the book before. The entire plot felt more or less unfamiliar to me. Interestingly though, I do remember that at that time it wasn't one of my favorite books in the series. Now, I really couldn't say why that was - unless because I started reading at Burnt Offerings if I remember correctly, I was looking for characters I had become familiar with in the later books. This time though, there was none of that. I simply kept turning the pages until I'd finished reading the book.

Are you looking for a female character who isn't afraid to do what she needs to and who takes charge of her life without simply waiting for circumstances to come to her? That's Anita Blake, sometimes called "The Executioner" for her role as a vampire hunter - mostly on the correct side of the law when doing so too. And she's only one of the cast of characters. We also meet up with some other characters who will play larger roles in future books, such as Edward.

For all that Guilty Pleasures is the first book in the series, it both stands alone and serves as an introduction to an interesting world. One where the supernatural is known about and has a legal place. In that, this series is similar to the books by Patricia Briggs, except that most of the legal wrangling has already happened here. That's one of the things about this series that I remember enjoying the last time around - that rather than complete secrecy being one of the driving elements of the story (for example the J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood books, or Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters series), there are actual legal procedures to follow and things are more open. Perhaps not all the details, but the broad strokes are known about - not that that erases all the prejudice.

My one caution with this series is to be prepared for some fairly vivid scenes. One of the things Anita does in the course of her work is to work with the police - sometimes on murder scenes. And then there's her "day" job, where she works as an animator - which is also a somewhat gruesome job it seems.

In terms of the series overall, I believe I stopped reading around the time Bullet was released, so I definitely will have some catching up to do, but I'm looking forward to it. However, I'm finding the way that I've chosen to buy the books this time to have one minor downside: I've gone for the five-book bundle for the first five, and that makes it harder to judge where I am in any particular book - they come as one large file on the e-reader. Not that that's going to deter me. In at least one way it's actually going to be an advantage rather than a disadvantage - keeping the books in order will be a whole lot simpler!

Saturday Snapshots - December 24th - Merry Christmas everyone!

Saturday Snapshots is a meme hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. The rules of the game are:

To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Personally, I find that this is one of the most fun memes that I've participated in.

With tomorrow being Christmas Day, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Here's hoping the day brings nothing but wonderful surprises for everyone!

And to go with the theme of the day, I've got some winter and Christmas themed photographs to share.

First of all, some icicles from last week's cold snap:

The next two are a bit warmer and cozier - a tabby-cat snuggled under the Christmas tree:

The final photo I'm adding is so that my other cat (Maddie) doesn't get jealous of Jenny.

All of these photos are straight out of the camera with no post-processing, and all taken with my new D7100 - which I'm really enjoying, although quite a few controls are in completely different places from either of my previous cameras. Definitely a bit of a learning curve going on now, and I'm really looking forward to get out and experiment, including with the new lens. Now I just have to wait for the weather to cooperate!

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is one of the longest lasting book-memes I know of. I've been a participant since the days it was hosted over at J Kaye's Book Blog, and then on Book Journey. Now It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at Book Date.

The idea of It's Monday! What Are You Reading is to share the books you read last week and also what you are currently reading. I've discovered the hard way that it's a dangerous meme for your TBR piles as frequently I end up adding books to my wishlist thanks to the intriguing descriptions and reviews that others share.

I didn't finish reading either of the books I was working my way through last week, so here they are again:

The Fiery Cross
Diana Gabaldon

The amazon.com product description:

The dazzling fifth volume of Diana Gabaldon’s extraordinary Outlander saga, featuring 18th-century Scotsman James Fraser and his 20th-century time-traveling wife, Claire Randall.

The year is 1771, and war is coming. Jamie Fraser’s wife tells him so. Little as he wishes to, he must believe it, for hers is a gift of dreadful prophecy—a time-traveler’s certain knowledge.

Born in the year of Our Lord 1918, Claire Randall served England as a nurse on the battlefields of World War II, and in the aftermath of peace found fresh conflicts when she walked through a cleftstone on the Scottish Highlands and found herself an outlander, an English lady in a place where no lady should be, in a time—1743—when the only English in Scotland were the officers and men of King George’s army.

Now wife, mother, and surgeon, Claire is still an outlander, out of place, and out of time, but now, by choice, linked by love to her only anchor—Jamie Fraser. Her unique view of the future has brought him both danger and deliverance in the past; her knowledge of the oncoming revolution is a flickering torch that may light his way through the perilous years ahead—or ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes....

Grand, sweeping, utterly unforgettable, The Fiery Cross is riveting entertainment, a vibrant tapestry of history and human drama.

The second book is also one I started last week and have yet to finish:

Hand of Isis
Jo Graham

The amazon.com blurb:

Charmian is handmaiden to Cleopatra. She is also an oracle, gifted with ancient memories that may hold the key to preserving Egypt. Through blood and fire, war and peace, love and death, she will face a desperate struggle that will remake the future of the world.

Shortlisted for the Locus Best First Novel Award, included in The Amazon Editors' Top Ten List in Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2008 and the Locus Recommended Reading List, with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, Jo Graham is one of the most exciting new voices to come out of historical fantasy in recent years.

I have to say I strongly prefer the original cover, which can be found on some of my earlier reviews. This is the book that's getting the lion's share of my reading attention right now - partly because it's on my Kobo, so I can read for a bit after we turn the lights out.

Those are the books from last week. I'm adding a couple of new books this week as well.

First of all is my favorite audio-book:
The Lord Of The Rings (BBC Dramatization) 
The amazon.com product description:

Dramatization
Thirteen CDs, 13 hours

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever he searched far and wide for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.

On his eleventy-first birthday Bilbo disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest -- to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.

The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard, the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

 I've listened my way through this several times now over the years and started again in the past week. I still believe quite firmly that the BBC Radio Play adaptation is the best adaptation of the Lord of the Rings. As I've also begun watching the movies again, I must note that it's rather weird to hear Ian Holm doing the voice of Frodo in this, but then to see him playing the. role of Bilbo in the movies is rather disconcerting. To my ears he's always Frodo!

The final book I'm adding is one that I'm not precisely reading - it's more of a reference book - to go with my new camera.

Nikon D7100 for Dummies
Julie Adair King

The amazon.com product description:

A must-have, full-color guide to the Nikon D7100
The Nikon D7100 is an ideal camera for beginning photographers who may lack structured photography training but are still eager and determined to take great photos. And that?s where this fun-and-friendly guide comes in handy! Packed with more than 300 full-color photos, this introductory guide begins by helping you get a feel for the camera, get comfortable shooting in auto mode, managing playback options, and handle basic troubleshooting strategies. Veteran author Julie Adair King walks you through the D7100's features and encourages you to take creative control so that you can start capturing stunning pictures immediately.

• Packs in more than 300 full-color photos that exemplify the basic photo skills needed to get great shots
• Shares a wealth of information from one of the most popular digital photography authors
• Walks you through adjusting manual settings to get better results from exposure, lighting, focus, and color
• Contains an entire chapter on video mode
• Explains how to send images to a computer for organizing, editing, and sharing

Nikon D7100 For Dummies helps you get a grasp on your camera's controls so you can start taking memorable photos today!

I really want to break away from only using the auto settings on my camera, and this new camera is just different enough from my previous two that I'm going to need the extra reference material to figure it out - settings are in completely different places for example.

Saturday Snapshots - December 17th

Saturday Snapshots is a meme hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. The rules of the game are:

To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Personally, I find that this is one of the most fun memes that I've participated in.

I've got one truly new photo this week:

I got both a new camera body and a new lens last week and this is the first photo I took using them. The camera is a Nikon D7100 and the lens is an 80-400mm - bought used so I'm not sure of the precise model. This picture isn't the greatest I'll admit - I took it hand-holding rather than using a tripod and also on manual focus 100%. Thanks to the weather, I didn't want to take the time to set up a tripod - not in six to eight inches of snow and -4 degree weather.

I can definitely see myself getting out more in the near future to take photos. To be honest, I've got a few more on the camera that I will probably post next week - icicles hanging from the bushes. I'm looking forward to the chance of trying the new lens out on some birds.

My second photo is an older one that I did some editing on this week.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - December 12th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is one of the longest lasting book-memes I know of. I've been a participant since the days it was hosted over at J Kaye's Book Blog, and then on Book Journey. Now It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at Book Date.

The idea of It's Monday! What Are You Reading is to share the books you read last week and also what you are currently reading. I've discovered the hard way that it's a dangerous meme for your TBR piles as frequently I end up adding books to my wishlist thanks to the intriguing descriptions and reviews that others share.

Unlike the last few weeks, I haven't managed to finish reading any books - work has really cut into my reading time for the last week. However, I'm really enjoying the two I am reading.

The first is:

The Fiery Cross
Diana Gabaldon

The amazon.com product description:

The dazzling fifth volume of Diana Gabaldon’s extraordinary Outlander saga, featuring 18th-century Scotsman James Fraser and his 20th-century time-traveling wife, Claire Randall.

The year is 1771, and war is coming. Jamie Fraser’s wife tells him so. Little as he wishes to, he must believe it, for hers is a gift of dreadful prophecy—a time-traveler’s certain knowledge.

Born in the year of Our Lord 1918, Claire Randall served England as a nurse on the battlefields of World War II, and in the aftermath of peace found fresh conflicts when she walked through a cleftstone on the Scottish Highlands and found herself an outlander, an English lady in a place where no lady should be, in a time—1743—when the only English in Scotland were the officers and men of King George’s army.

Now wife, mother, and surgeon, Claire is still an outlander, out of place, and out of time, but now, by choice, linked by love to her only anchor—Jamie Fraser. Her unique view of the future has brought him both danger and deliverance in the past; her knowledge of the oncoming revolution is a flickering torch that may light his way through the perilous years ahead—or ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes....

Grand, sweeping, utterly unforgettable, The Fiery Cross is riveting entertainment, a vibrant tapestry of history and human drama.

The second book is also one I started last week and have yet to finish:

Hand of Isis
Jo Graham

The amazon.com blurb:

Charmian is handmaiden to Cleopatra. She is also an oracle, gifted with ancient memories that may hold the key to preserving Egypt. Through blood and fire, war and peace, love and death, she will face a desperate struggle that will remake the future of the world.

Shortlisted for the Locus Best First Novel Award, included in The Amazon Editors' Top Ten List in Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2008 and the Locus Recommended Reading List, with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, Jo Graham is one of the most exciting new voices to come out of historical fantasy in recent years.

I have to say I strongly prefer the original cover, which can be found on some of my earlier reviews. This is the book that's getting the lion's share of my reading attention right now - partly because it's on my Kobo, so I can read for a bit after we turn the lights out.

I'm not planning to add any books to my to-read list - although should my order of Tempest: All New Tales of Valdemar, the new Valdemar anthology come in, of course it'll take reading priority. Unfortunately, it's not supposed to arrive until the first week of January. On the up-side, that's just in time for the Valdemar Reading Challenge!

Saturday Snapshots - December 10th

Saturday Snapshots is a meme hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. The rules of the game are:

To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Personally, I find that this is one of the most fun memes that I've participated in.

As with last week, I wasn't able to get out and get any completely new photographs - partly because of the weather. We got snow here - first time for a good snowfall in a couple of years. I've been describing our house as "the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful..." That woodstove has been a wonderful thing to have of late.

Anyway, in honor of the weather, my first photo this week is from a few years ago. IIRC, it was taken on Cypress/Hollyburn mountains during one of our snowshoeing expeditions.

The second photo I'm posting today is one that I took a while ago but never posted. I've been playing with some of the effects in the Nik collection of filters.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is one of the longest lasting book-memes I know of. I've been a participant since the days it was hosted over at J Kaye's Book Blog, and then on Book Journey. Now It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at Book Date.

The idea of It's Monday! What Are You Reading is to share the books you read last week and also what you are currently reading. I've discovered the hard way that it's a dangerous meme for your TBR piles as frequently I end up adding books to my wishlist thanks to the intriguing descriptions and reviews that others share.

The last week has been a busy one by my recent reading standards.

I finished reading one book:

Stray (Shifters - Vol. 1)
Rachel Vincent
MIRA
Copyright: 2010
978-0778329077

The amazon.com product description:

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays—werecats without a Pride—constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back…for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever—and whoever—I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays—'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them….

An excerpt from my review:

I've had a copy of Stray on my e-reader for the last few years but never got more than about five pages into the book prior to this weekend. I have to say though, while I liked the read, I'm not absolutely raving to read the next books in the series.

Other than that, I put up the sign-up post for my Valdemar Reading Challenge last week.

I'm currently reading two books as well:


The Fiery Cross
Diana Gabaldon

The amazon.com product description:

The dazzling fifth volume of Diana Gabaldon’s extraordinary Outlander saga, featuring 18th-century Scotsman James Fraser and his 20th-century time-traveling wife, Claire Randall.

The year is 1771, and war is coming. Jamie Fraser’s wife tells him so. Little as he wishes to, he must believe it, for hers is a gift of dreadful prophecy—a time-traveler’s certain knowledge.

Born in the year of Our Lord 1918, Claire Randall served England as a nurse on the battlefields of World War II, and in the aftermath of peace found fresh conflicts when she walked through a cleftstone on the Scottish Highlands and found herself an outlander, an English lady in a place where no lady should be, in a time—1743—when the only English in Scotland were the officers and men of King George’s army.

Now wife, mother, and surgeon, Claire is still an outlander, out of place, and out of time, but now, by choice, linked by love to her only anchor—Jamie Fraser. Her unique view of the future has brought him both danger and deliverance in the past; her knowledge of the oncoming revolution is a flickering torch that may light his way through the perilous years ahead—or ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes....

Grand, sweeping, utterly unforgettable, The Fiery Cross is riveting entertainment, a vibrant tapestry of history and human drama.

I had a bit of an amusing experience with this one over the weekend. We went to see a choir concert on Saturday and when we got back, I picked up The Fiery Cross again, only to come across one of the songs I had been listening to in the book: The Flower of Scotland.

The other book I'm currently reading is one I've read and reviewed here a few times now:

Hand of Isis
Jo Graham

The amazon.com blurb:

Charmian is handmaiden to Cleopatra. She is also an oracle, gifted with ancient memories that may hold the key to preserving Egypt. Through blood and fire, war and peace, love and death, she will face a desperate struggle that will remake the future of the world.

Shortlisted for the Locus Best First Novel Award, included in The Amazon Editors' Top Ten List in Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2008 and the Locus Recommended Reading List, with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, Jo Graham is one of the most exciting new voices to come out of historical fantasy in recent years.

This has been one of my favorites for a few years now and I've lost count of the number of times I've re-read it.

As usual, I'm not planning any books for my "To-Read" list for the coming week. I think what I'm already reading will fill my plate quite nicely.