FF: Reading the Thirteenth

Kel: Divine, Never Wicked!

Superstitions are a lot of fun…  What’s your favorite?

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

What are you reading?

Recently Completed:

The Wicked + The Divine, graphic novel, by Gillen, McKelvie, Wilson, and Cowles.  Vol 5.  First part of “The Imperial Arc.”  Interesting.  Relying on a bunch of people under twenty-five to save the world – super powers or not – is being presented as problematic.

Growing Food in a Hotter, Dryer Land by Gary Paul Nabhan.  Very interesting.  I’ve been pleased about how many of the tricks he suggests I’m already aware of and use to my best capacity.

Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey.  Audiobook.  Fourth in The Expanse series.  Excellent.

In Progress:

The Betsy-Tacy Treasury by Maud Hart Lovelace.  I’ve re-read the first couple of volumes and am now reading Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill.  Wow!  The bit about the immigrants in “Little Syria” shows how today’s issues are part of a long, long trend.

The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas.  Audiobook.  A comment from one of the FF readers reminded me of this old favorite.

Also:

Re-reading Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls by Jane Lindskold.  Finishing up on this trip.

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FF: Interesting Findings!

Ogapoge: Definitely Divine

So, according to answers from various places, pretty much none of you change your reading habits for “summer reads.”  That’s interesting, given that the publishing industry is convinced that “beach reads” or “light reads” are a factor of summer.

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

What are you reading?

Recently Completed:

The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling.  Someday “The Spring Running” won’t make me cry.  Maybe.

The Towers of the Sunset by L.E. Modisett.  Audiobook.  ]

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse.  No.  Not the movie with Bowie, a grail tale.

In Progress:

The Wicked + The Divine, graphic novel, by Gillen, McKelvie, Wilson, and Cowles.  Rereading at this point, because I want to read some new material that has come out since last I dipped into this universe.

Growing Food in a Hotter, Dryer Land by Gary Paul Nabhan.  Very interesting.  Makes me want enough land to try some of the suggestions.

Cibola Burn by James S.A. Corey.  Audiobook.  Fourth in The Expanse series.  Just starting.

Also:

Re-reading Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls by Jane Lindskold.

FF: Summer Reads?

Dandelion: A New Member of the Book Club

Jim was away last weekend, so I listened to audiobooks and did crafts.

Do you have different “summer reads” than the rest of the year?

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

What are you reading?

Recently Completed:

Life Below Stairs: True Lives of Edwardian Servants by Alison Maloney.  Interesting with lots of details not only about Edwardian servants, but how their lives compared to those of their Victorian counterparts.

The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters.  Audiobook.  Re-read.

The Sanctuary Sparrow by Ellis Peters.  Audiobook.  Re-read.

In Progress:

The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling.  Just finished the very unsettling “The Undertakers” and am about to begin “The King’s Ankus.”

Growing Food in a Hotter, Dryer Land by Gary Paul Nabhan.  Very interesting.  Makes me want enough land to try some of the suggestions.

The Towers of the Sunset by L.E. Modisett.  Audiobook.  Interesting way of writing a series – the world is the only continuing character and the books are non-linear within the series.   I was very confused at first.  This book is the second in the series.

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse.  No.  Not the movie with Bowie.  A “grail” story told part in the past, part in contemporary times.  So far I’d say a novelette’s worth of plot, lots of setting infused with running around and being confused because plot elements are withheld to pad the limited story.  Not bad, for all that.  I’ll probably finish it.

Also:

Still reading magazines.  A recent National Geographic with a focus on plastic waste was interesting but too focused on the problem.  I would have liked a bit more awareness of the problems those same plastics have eliminated – and how to eliminate plastics without reintroducing those problems.

FF: While Awaiting

Tepary Beans Read

Every audiobook I tried to request from the library was out, so I went back to some old favorites.  Each book has had a different reader, which has been a little unsettling.

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

Do you have different “summer reads” than the rest of the year?

Recently Completed:

The Penderwicks at Last by Jeanne Birdsall.

Have Sword Will Travel by Garth Nix and Sean Williams.  Audiobook.  Great fun.

Monk’s Hood by Ellis Peters.  Audiobook.  A Brother Cadfael novella. Re-read.

St. Peter’s Fair by Ellis Peters.  Audiobook.  Re-read.

In Progress:

The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling.  I’m up to “How Fear Came.”

Growing Food in a Hotter, Drier Land  by Gary Paul Nabhan.  Just starting.

Life Below Stairs: True Lives of Edwardian Servants by Alison Maloney.  Interesting with lots of details not only about Edwardian servants, but how their lives compared to those of their Victorian counterparts.

The Virgin in the Ice by Ellis Peters.  Audiobook.  Re-read.

Also:

Bouncing between various magazines.

FF: Keeping Up With The Stories

Kel and the Penderwicks

I’ve been writing obsessively, so my print reading has dropped off, but I’m still managing at least some!

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

So, tell me what you’re reading!

Recently Completed:

Leonardo daVinci by Walter Isaacson.  Audiobook.  I enjoyed.  Minutely detailed at points, but nonetheless absorbing.  Lots of repetition for key points.  This is advantageous for an audiobook.

In Progress:

The Penderwicks at Last by Jeanne Birdsall.  Closing book in a middle grade series I enjoyed.  This one has touches of YA concerns, but the POV character is younger.

The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling.  I’m up to “The White Seal.”

Have Sword Will Travel by Garth Nix and Sean Williams.  Audiobook.  Amusing middle-grade with some thoughtful comments on aspiration and reality.

Also:

Now reading latest National Geographic.

FF: Welcome to June

Kwahe’e Dreams Bagheera Dreams

June is here, bringing with it much sneezing and warmer temperatures…

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

What are you reading?

Recently Completed:

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss.

In Progress:

Leonardo daVinci by Walter Isaacson.  Audiobook.  Minutely detailed at points, but nonetheless absorbing.  Reads as if published originally in excerpts, with lots of repetition for key points.  This is actually nice for an audiobook.

The Jungle Books by Rudyard Kipling.  An old favorite, but it had been a  long time since I read the whole thing, rather than bits and pieces.

Also:

A new Smithsonian arrived this week.  I’m sure it’s thinner.  One article dealt with something I’ve wanted to see happen for a long time: a concentrated effort to deal with invasive species by harvesting and consuming.

FF: Some Thought-Provoking Reads

Hollyhock Toad Borrowed My Kindle

I’ve been writing a lot this week, but I’ve still found time to read.  How about you?

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

What are you reading?

Recently Completed:

Out of the Deep I Cry by Julie Spencer Fleming.  Audiobook.  This author is showing a not unappealing tendency to intertwine close looks at social issues with her mysteries.  The historical sections in this one leave me with no doubt that I’m glad I was born when I was – especially for medicine.

The Sacerdotal Owl and Three Other Long Tales by Michael Bishop.  A forthcoming collection of three novellas.  Very much enjoyed.  The problem is writing a blurb when I want to write an academic paper.

One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters.  Audiobook.  Second book in her Brother Cadfael series.  An old favorite.

In Progress:

Leonardo daVinci by Walter Isaacson.  I’ve been wanting to read this since we went to the daVinci exhibit a month or so ago.  Just starting.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss.  Enjoyable, although I admit to wishing that she hadn’t felt a need to include Sherlock Holmes.  But that’s my private bugbear and not a reflection on the author.

Also:

Almost done with the latest Smithsonian.

FF: Past and Future Publications

Ziggy Contemplates With Starlight At Her Side

I’ve been meaning to remind you that The Long Sunset by Jack McDevitt, which I was privileged to read in advance of its official release, is now out.  It’s a Priscilla Hutchinson’s novel and involves aliens past and present.  A griping read, that gets pretty tense at times.

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

What are you reading?

Recently Completed:

A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L’Engle.  Worth the re-read.

In Progress:

Out of the Deep I Cry by Julie Spencer Fleming.  Audiobook.  This one is turning into one of my favorite sort of mysteries – looking into a long past unsolved mystery, in this case combined with a current incident.

The Sacerdotal Owl and Three Other Long Tales by Michael Bishop.  A not-yet released collection of three novellas.  I’ve finished two, am into the third, and am greatly enjoying.  As a nice tie-in, the one I’m reading now “To the Land of Snows” first appeared in an anthology edited by Jack McDevitt entitled Going Interstellar.

Also:

I was almost caught up with magazines, then new ones started coming in!

FF: Vision Challenge!

Persphone Snags My Mag

This week I’ve been immersed in proofreading, so I haven’t had the vision to spare for as much reading.

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

What are you reading?

Recently Completed:

Beneath a Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire.  Audiobook.  Good, although setting dominates characterization and plot.

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burns.  Middle grade novel.  Enjoyable, although Aventurine is very ornery!  Don’t expect a “sweet” read.

In Progress:

A Fountain Filled With Blood by Julie Spencer Fleming.  Audiobook.  This book may include an amateur detective, but it is definitely not what I’d call “cozy.”  Maybe someone needs to coin a new term?

Also:

Catching up on magazines.

FF: Lots of Variety

Ziggy Contemplates Chocolate

The last week or so, I’ve been taking up a challenge offered by some fans of cozy mysteries that they as formulaic as I’d come to believe.  I certainly liked those I’ve recently completed.

For those of you just discovering this part of my blog, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.

The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.

What are you reading?

Recently Completed:

My Wicked Half Sister by E.M. Tippetts.  This series is really hard to classify.  The first book was more or less romance.  The next couple were CSI mysteries.  This one is what anime/manga would call “slice of life.”  Suffice to say, I’ve enjoyed them all.

The Easter Egg Murders by Patricia Smith Wood.  Loosely based on an actual murder here in New Mexico.

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julie Spencer Fleming.  Audiobook.  A WW reader recommendation.  Good characterization and setting.

In Progress:

Beneath a Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire.  Audiobook.  Just started.

The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burns.  Middle grade novel.  A WW reader recommendation!

Also:

After watching the anime of Card Captor Sakura for the first time, I had a desire to re-read the manga.  Interesting to see the changes made between the storylines.  Unlike most of the time when such happens, I had no clear preference.  I’m curious which storyline the new Card Captor Sakura (“Clear Card”) will follow.