A Wandering WeyrCat...

I reread the Dresden Files this past year, gearing up for the double release of 1. Peace Talks & 2. Battle Ground by Jim Butcher. The really are one book, cut down the center for length. There's about one minute of time passing between the two books. I thoroughly enjoyed them both, though I had to stop and reread the first half of Battle Ground, it moved that fast. 3. Driftwood by Marie Brennan. I love her for her Lady Trent books but I haven't read any of her high fantasy. Her world building was great, and I loved the method of story telling in this book. 4. The Widow by Fiona Barton. Murder mystery told in boomerang time over five characters. I couldn't put it down. 5. American Demon - Kim Harrison. This is the book I never thought there would be; I thought she was done writing this series and I am do glad she gave in. Even after everything the story and characters felt fresh. 6. Honor Girl - Maggie Thrash. Graphic memoir of a lesbian coming out at a con...

Exploring from Home: Art: Raku Inoue - Fauna Out of Flora at Atlas Obscura . Shelley Phillips - Virtual Art Gallery. NJ native and elementary art teacher for 35 years.  I have been READING: Dead Beat (Dresden Files #7)  by Jim Butcher.  The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death (The Hollows #0.1) (Kim Harrison). I loved this book for the same reasons I love all the Hallows novels: the characters are believable, sarcastic, intelligent, and all have their own agency. Even female characters motivated solely by a desire to mate have deep personalities, believable backstories, and develop over time (seriously)! I loved seeing new characters interacting with old. I loved getting to learn about The Turn. I adore the new facet given to beloved characters. I do have one complaint: because Trent is a Jr (sharing his father's name), for the ENTIRE book I thought KAL was TRENT. That's really a Me problem, not a Kim Harrison problem. Reading throug...

Trespassing Across America: One Man's Epic, Never-Done-Before (and Sort of Illegal) Hike Across the Heartland by Ken Ilgunas My rating: 4 of 5 stars I heard of this book when looking for an alternate to another hiking book I wasn't able to get at my local library, and I'm do glad I did. I chose to listen to the audiobook over a set of 8 hour drives, and it was the perfect time to do it. The long drive helped me feel like I was hiking with him, and his descriptions of the people and places he saw helped to paint a secondary vision for my own trip. I saw a few other reviews mention that they felt the author "lost touch" with the original intent of bringing awareness to the Keystone XL, but I don't feel like it's the case. Firstly, because the KXL was really a secondary motivation for the walk in the first place and remains in that secondary position throughout the book. In addition, the author dips back into the KXL whenev...

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore My rating: 5 of 5 stars The narrator of the audiobook version fits well as the voice of Nathan Quinn, thoughtful, with a touch of slightly dazed with all the goings on. The story itself is interesting and amusing. Definitely a fun distraction read. The author's note in the end tells you how much of the science was real science, and has some very interesting tidbits. Absolutely worth the (very little) time. View all my reviews

The Batman Adventures: Mad Love by Paul Dini My rating: 4 of 5 stars The story was entertaining, but depressing.I've heard this is Harley's very first appearance, and it was the basis for the B:TAS episode that came later. It doesn't really read that way though, since half the issue is Harley reminiscing. If this is her first appearance, it's more like they want us to believe she's always been around and we only just notice her (except Batman just noticed her too). So, poorly done, on that point. They would have done better to just use that Backstory as the story. Put it all in present time (like B:TAS did) and the whole thing would make more sense. The art was reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series, which I liked. Except... Commissioner Gordon seemed somehow extra cartoony. Commentary on the storyline follows, if you don't want spoilers. (Spoiler beyong the break)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really liked this collection; it had the character development and well-written battles of the longer books, without room for rape! I look forward to reading more about Dunk and Egg. View all my reviews

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book might be... the best book I ever read. The writing was beautiful. The characters were deep and felt real. The world was vast. The LORE was vast. I adored everything about this book. The battle of the betrayed tower... was better than the battle of the blackwater (and I CRIED during that battle). I can't vouch for the narrators, as I listened to it on 1.5x speed, so it would be closer to the speed people might actually speak, but in their high pitched tones they did fantastic. There was a tiny slip near the end, where the narrators hadn't agreed to use the same pronunciation of a character's name, but it doesn't detract from the telling. I wanted to start the book over, immediately, and listen to it again. The last time I recall doing that was Stephen King's Dark Tower (Gunslinger #7), when I wanted to start the whole series over. I hear there's a sequel to...

Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Three Annual #1 by Ray Fawkes My rating: 4 of 5 stars You know, I never know which people exist in which universes. I honestly didn't know Teen Titans were a thing in this arc, and I'd never really paid attention to them before. (Note, for those that don't know who Con El is, they do explain it in Year Four.) As with some of the other annual stories, it was a bit light and hollow, but added an interesting Dimension *hyuk hyuk*). I liked the Constantine story. I don't have the best memory (I had to remind myself why Diana was napping in the last volume) but this have a nice "A HA!" to the ordeal. Pity I don't know who those other characters are. Hm. View all my reviews

Allegiant by Veronica Roth My rating: 3 of 5 stars I really like the story, the characters, the setting, and I finally figured out what was driving me nuts about the book: the narrator of my audiobook. READ THE PAPERBACKS, avoid the audiobooks! I like the inner conflicts of the characters, and that the new boss is the same as the old boss, so to speak. I'm not sure I agree with how they handle it in the end, but it did stop a lot of bloodshed, granted. I'm glad I read the trilogy, but wish I'd made the time to read it on paper. I couldn't put my finger on it, for two books. Allegiant has two narrators (they brought in a male for the Tobias point of view) and he wasn't a great narrator either, but it gave me contrast. The female narrator of the books doesn't change her voice for other characters. There are times that I can't tell Tris stopped talking and someone else started talking! She doesn't breathe between sentence...

Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation by Bill Nye My rating: 5 of 5 stars Let's get it out of the way: Nye missed a HUGE opportunity when he didn't call it "UndeNYEable". I read the audiobook version, because once I knew Nye was orating it, how could I not? He puts the same energy into this book that he did the shows I loved and grew up on, though the tone is a little more sobered, considering the different age of the audience. Still very witty and engaging! I'm sure the paper version is too, but have to admit that the paper version will probably be better for those who are familiar with the way he speaks, because they'll be able to read it in his voice with more of the inflections that make it Nye. I cannot pretend to be an unbiased reader in this case. I have a signed portrait of Nye on my desk, still mourn the day I couldn't drive the few hours to see him speak at a nearby university, and my husband points out to visit...

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb My rating: 5 of 5 stars My brother recommended this book to me a year or so ago and it took me awhile to get around to it. I read the audiobook version, as I have so much more time for those lately, and found the narrator a good orator. His range isn't the best I've heard, no obvious falsettos for females, and a lot of the characters sound the same, but he manages well enough that I look forward to listening to him again in the next two novels. As for the novel, it was wonderful! I well written complex story that manages to span year without feeling overburdened by small arcs or too thin in the character development. The main arc is a bit obvious, nearly good-twin-bad-twin obvious, but there are tiny threads of intrigue throughout that are sweet little surprises. I teared up a few times, and grinned a little here and there. I give it a full five stars for it's ability to somehow draw me in, while not fee...

The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison My rating: 5 of 5 stars So, it's over. I read the last three novels in such a rush (she does such a great job of making sure they roll right off each other). It's all exactly as you think it'd be, and I loved it that way. There's a bit in the afterstory that irked me a little (I mean really, THAT has to be about her too?) but if I could see the events as separate I'd think they were wonderful. I know, terrible review, but I couldn't write NOTHING. It has been a wonderful thirteen (omg thirteen?) books. I'll miss Morgan, and Jenks, and the way Harrison could make me cry over them and theirs. View all my reviews

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel by Seth Grahame-Smith My rating: 4 of 5 stars Tucked into this gem a few days ago and just, loved it. Yes, the language is as verbose and flowery as the novel it's based on. It takes certain liberties with the story in order to fit in the concept that the nearly every human left must be a warrior in some fashion (the men more the women, of course), and I kept having to think "that's outRAGEous.. no wait, think Klingon, would a warrior-race find that acceptable?" You might need to have liked the story to really understand everything, due to liberties taken. All in all, I loved the way it was adapted. The art is wonderful! I really love the "uncolored sketch" style of the work. It has it's flaws here and there (the card players number and places switch at the table a few times, in order to change perspective and angle). I just loved it. I definitely recommend it to anyone tha...

Pearl of Pandaria by Micky Neilson My rating: 2 of 5 stars The story reads like it's for younger readers, but there's quite a lot of hack n' slash that doesn't match the perceived age range. It was an ok way to pass the time, but not terribly good. The panel arrangement can be confusing, confounded further by speech bubbles that seem to be in the wrong place. In one panel, Li Li has an item, and the speech bubble is the male saying he has something for her, then a panel has him giving it to her (the thing, she already had..). On the very first page, in three consecutive panels the riding tortoise has one shell ring, then three, then two that might be tree, then two again. There are other smaller inconsistencies. A character starts with green eyes, then has yellow eyes later in the page. The notes in the back say that the Pandaren had green eyes until they were all recolored yellow, so they may have just missed those two green-eyed panels. ...

The Wolf Gift: The Graphic Novel by Anne Rice My rating: 3 of 5 stars I really liked the artwork...it had a manga feel too it. Very clean and angular. The story is a little interesting if not a little...hmm... how to put it without spoilers. It's not very complex for the first three-quarters of the story. The main character started out broody and thinking, but quickly became a bland ubermensch. The age of his love interests stuck me as a little odd.. not because cougar-cub relationships don't happen but because their age is paired with a vapid sense of the present, or lack of sense of the future, or even self-preservation! The more complex part oof the story seems shoved in at the last minute. I wish she would have written THAT as a story, it seemed far more interesting. Rewrite the whole thing from their point of view. Anyway, I didn't believe it. Take that comment for what it's worth. I read a lot of supernatural fiction, but am new to ...

Matched by Ally Condie My rating: 4 of 5 stars I got sucked into this fast read two days ago. I plowed through 25% the first night and then read the rest tonight. I enjoyed every bit of the 1984esque world presented to me. I'm fairly used to the YA love triangle thing by now, so it barely phased me. There is a small bit in the end, regarding that, that I don't find particularly palatable or believable, but it seems a small thing compared to how well written the rest of it is. It simply makes the end geeks a bit prematurely precipitate, like I missed a bit of character development. Still, it wasn't enough to ruin the book. I'll read the other two. It's a trilogy, of course. View all my reviews

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon My rating: 5 of 5 stars I really try not to read romance novels, but the adult moments in this book were either nicely skippable or had plot points in them (no really)! And, they weren't so terribly awkward or overwritten as in so many books that sell their so-so stories with the sex itself. Without being able to give too much away, I loved it. I read the audiobook version, and the orator did a good job of separating the characters and conveying emotions. The story itself started out so differently that I had to go back and read the cliffnotes for the first book to make sure I hadn't forgotten some huge plot point. Turns out, it was a plot device of THIS novel. I loved it. It was a great way to seamlessly connect the two novels. I really don't know how much more to review without giving away plot points. Granted, the book is based on (some) actual historical events, but I'm not betting you've gone and researched thos...

Crewel by Gennifer Albin My rating: 2 of 5 stars I want to like this book, I do. I just don't. The universe and it's mechanisms are very creative and interesting. The government, a la 1984 with a strong stroke of female suppression, seems nicely complex. The characters, however, are cardboard cutouts resembling interesting people. No, that's not a story mechanic. The characters are written flatly and are boringly obvious in every way. The lead female character has some sort of deathwish, or is intolerably stupid, running her mouth at the worst opportunities in order to piss off people more than willing to kill her. Yet, these actions are counter to her goals, and in direct opposition to the two gorgeous automatons vying for her attention, though it could get either of them likewise killed. The people close to her, that like her, adore her, and risk their own lives for her. The people that don't like her, hate her on the merest pretense. It...

Divergent by Veronica Roth My rating: 3 of 5 stars The writing style is different, a bit clunky at times, and the characters a bit thin and predictable. Still, the book moves quickly and it's a fun fast read. I enjoy the foreshadowing provided in the MC's thoughts, even if it's more of a "this will obviously be important" than a subtle hint to remember later. I'll read the next one. View all my reviews

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester My rating: 5 of 5 stars I LOVED this book! It's one of those books that I stole time for. What? Someone needs to go to the store? On it! Just let me grab my audiobook... I kept being reminded of Dava Sobel's book "Longitude". The books are both history based and have a good bit of storytelling, good storytelling! It was very interesting to have, at the end, the author tell of the current state of the gravestones of both the madman and his victim. It was also very neat to hear (in this audiobook edition) an interview between the author/narrator Simon Winchester and the current editor of the OED! It's hard to talk about this book without giving away spoilers in the fashion of interesting tidbits, because it is just so interesting. So, I'll leave you with that. If you like this book, try Dava Sobel's Longi...