Book Review: The Gathering Edge by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews
The Gathering Edge by Sharon Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A most satisfying entry in the Liaden Universe series, number 20 begins and ends with plenty of action. Indeed, the reader hardly has time to take a breath for all the action! The characters themselves must be exhausted — I feel so in their behalf.
I enjoyed this part of Theo’s story rather more than previous books about her, perhaps because others played a larger part in the story. She isn’t my favorite of the series’ protagonists, to be honest, but then I still hope for more of Priscilla Delacroix y Mendoza.
Book Review: Less Than A Treason by Dana Stabenow
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews
Less Than a Treason by Dana Stabenow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
FINALLY! The cliffhanger at the end of Bad Blood is resolved, or of course there would not be a #21. It’s been so long (over four years!) since I read #20, though, that I had to go back and re-read the last bit of it to understand the beginning of this novel. That wasn’t happy-making, and it had a negative effect on my ability to just dive in and enjoy the book.
Once things got going, though, everything was good — it’s still a five-star read. Kate is in fine form, although as usual she is definitely affected by recent events. We see a lot of Jim Chopin here — in fact, he figures as largely as Kate does. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Stabenow has always done a good job of showing us a Niniltna that grows and changes with the times, with people coming and going, being born and dying, which is realistic. That hurts at times when you’re attached to the characters. I don’t want to get into spoilers, but you’ll see when you read it. And you should definitely read it!
Book Review: Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive by Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph.D.
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews
Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive by Barbara L. Fredrickson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I first read Fredrickson’s second book, Love 2.0: How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become. It blew me away, and I’ve recommended it hither and yon. I was definitely interested in her first book, but for one reason and another it took me a while to get around to it.
This is an excellent audiobook. I enjoyed the presentation, and the information was absolutely fascinating. I’m going to have to go back and read (instead of listen to) some of the sections and take notes, but I’m definitely interested enough to do so!
I’m particularly interested in the science-backed techniques Fredrickson recommends for improving one’s positivity ratio. I’ll be tracking mine as I try these techniques to see what happens. I strongly recommend the book, especially to anyone who is interested in combating negativity or the science of positive psychology.
Book Review: Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I just re-read Storm Front, after first reading it — well, I don’t even know how many years ago! Shortly after it was first released, I think.
Now, it’s important to know that I simply don’t re-read books. I find that too boring, most of the time. There are a scant few exceptions. The Liaden Universe books by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller are the most remarkable of them. The fact that I would even consider a re-read speaks very, very highly of Butcher’s work.
I’d forgotten far more than I expected, but I suppose that happens, with at least 15 years and goodness knows how many books in between readings. I knew it was a good book, I knew one important part of the ending (I mean, come on — there are many more books in the series, so you KNOW that Dresden lives!), but all else was lost. I wasn’t sure I would like reading about old Harry with recent Harry fresh in my mind (I just read the short story “Jury Duty”).
If anything, I enjoyed it even more spiced by the knowledge of who Dresden (and Murphy) will become in the future books. I enjoyed the setting, the craft that went into building the whole novel, and seeing how Butcher’s skill grew from the first book to the more recent works.
I’m going to go on with re-reading the entire series — I hadn’t committed to it before, but now I’m looking forward to it!
Book Review: Full Metal Magic
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews
Full Metal Magic: An Urban Fantasy Anthology of Magic, Mayhem, and the Paranormal by J.A. Cipriano
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was clued in to this anthology by a mention in J.A. Cipriano’s newsletter, which is worth subscribing to (hey, the man sends you free reads, and they’re good!). Anyway, Cipriano and company are all dark urban fantasy authors who have written these stories specifically for this volume, so you won’t find them anywhere else. The book is available via the Kindle Unlimited program. In fact, every related book that I checked on is available that way, so I’m wondering if this thing was sponsored by Amazon or something. If so, why doesn’t it say so? Anyway, on to the review.
“The Bull Demon King” is Cipriano’s story, set in the Thrice-Cursed Mage universe. You don’t need to have read those books to appreciate the story, and it serves as a nice little introduction if you’re curious about the series (I’ve really enjoyed them). I think the story is set between the second and third books, but I won’t swear to that and it isn’t vital. We get to attend the Texas state fair with assassin mage Mac Brennan and his girlfriend Ricky, the local alpha werewolf. Of course, mayhem ensues, because that’s Mac’s lot in life — and what kind of story would we have otherwise?
Domino Finn contributes “The Black Door” which is noted as “A Black Magic Outlaw Story.” This story had me guessing right up until the end, which was delightful. The writing is wonderful, the world of an alternate magical Miami nightlife is very fully realized, and central character, Cisco Suarez, is extremely well drawn. I will be pointing my partner to Finn’s work, for sure (he loves the macabre), but I think it may be a little too dark for me.
On to Manhattan for our next piece, “Dance of the Dead,” which Sonya Bateman tells us is a “Deathspeaker Codex Short Story.” It takes place just after the events of the first novel in that series, according to the author’ note. Gideon Black drives bodies from crime scenes and the like to the morgue. Apparently he’s not 100% human, and he’s just learned that he can speak to the dead. That’s very important to the plot. For some reason this story didn’t grab me. I don’t relate well to stories that deal with the dead, like zombies and so on, so it’s probably a failure of imagination on my fault rather than anything wrong with Bateman’s story. If I find something she writes in another setting, I will give her another go.
Ambrose Ibsen offers up “Hard Row: A Demon-Hearted Story” for the collection. Lucian Colt works with other special enforcers to keep the threats from Beyond from encroaching on the mundane world of Detroit, and when he learns that there’s a shipment of kidnapped children being moved, he’s definitely down for tracking down the bad guys behind the trade. The fallen angel whose heart he carries is just glad to get a chance to throw down. The gimmick doesn’t really carry the story here. It feels like Colt is too overpowered in comparison to his allies, as if they are a mismatched RPG party.
Okay, I’ll admit it: Al K. Line’s name just annoyed me. So I had to get past that to give “Angry Spark,” set in his Dark Magic Enforcer world, a fair reading. Then the use name of the main character, “Black Spark,” hit me wrong. The guy’s real name is Faz Pound, but obviously magic men don’t go about giving their real names to all and sundry, hence the use name. Then I didn’t like the remarks about a corpulent character. So I finally just decided to leave off on this story. Maybe someone else can give you a review of it.
Rob Cornell’s “Family Business,” which is apparently a prequel set in his Unturned series’ universe, is set in another alternate Detroit. Fortunately nothing annoyed me about this one, so I was able to read it. It’s a wee bit hackneyed, but a bit sweet, too. It’s sort of like when you hear a song and you know how the melody is going to go because the chords and the melody progression already feel familiar. I might check out more of Cornell’s work, but it won’t be at the top of my to-read list.
On the other hand, “Valentine Blues” left me truly hungry for more of James A. Hunter’s work, and wanting to read more about Yancy Lazarus right now. This minute. Not soon, NOW. Lazarus is a traveling blues man with some interesting talents who takes an interest in the very strange behavior of the young people in Valentine, Nebraska. You can find the most interesting things on the road! I will most definitely be reading Strange Magic: A Yancy Lazarus Novel, the first book in this series, SOON.
I know that I’ve read something about Craig Schaefer’s Daniel Faust series somewhere before, but I’ve never actually read any OF the series until “A Drive in the Country.” It’s set in and around Las Vegas. I have no idea where in the timeline of the series this particular story is set, but it’s well-written. It pulls you into the gritty, noir world of gangsters plus magic and makes you feel the dark. If that’s your thing, Schaefer’s your man.
New York is the setting for Pippa DaCosta’s “Chase the Dark,” set in the world of her Soul Eater series. I am highly intrigued, as I don’t believe I’ve ever run into an urban fantasy series that draws upon Egyptian mythology the way DaCosta is here. The name of the main character, though, Ace Dante? Even though it’s obviously an assumed name, it’s terrible. I hate it. I’m jarred every single time my eyes come across it on the page. It kept pulling me out of what was otherwise a really good story, and is making me wonder whether or not I can handle reading Hidden Blade, the first book in the series.
Now that I’m finished with the book, I can’t help but notice a few things. There wasn’t a single main character that was female, and while it’s possible that Cisco Suarez is a person of color, his cultural background wasn’t made clear in Finn’s story. If any of the other protagonists were POC, that wasn’t obvious (I’m not sure what to consider “Ace Dante.”) I’m pretty sure all these men were cisgendered and heterosexual, as well. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that there’s a little more diversity in such a volume.
All in all, a decent collection of stories and a nice introduction to some new authors, but a disappointment in some important respects.
The Benefits of Maturity
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Work, Writing
I’m an Older Woman. My 50th birthday is fast approaching. No matter what I do with my résumé, it is pretty obvious that I’m not a millennial. That is who is truly desired, it seems, by the tech startups that I prefer to work with.
Oh, the job postings don’t come out and say that they don’t want old people, but the keywords are there?. “Fast-paced,” “high energy,” and “dynamic!”? They all whisper, at least, that “we only want young people!”
This isn’t just my impression, but the consensus among various people I’ve spoken with. It probably isn’t intentional, but the bias is there and the ageism is felt. So I want to address some things that seem to be missed by the “we want young people!” folks.
First, there are plenty of mature workers who can keep up with that “fast pace” you describe. We know ourselves, our bodies and our other commitments. We have the experience it takes to judge whether or not we can commit to startup life. I’ll be honest: I don’t think many young people can match that level of self-knowledge. I know that when I first worked for a startup, back in 1995, I didn’t have any idea how much dedication it would require.
Second, older workers bring a lifetime of experience in many different areas, and that experience is brought to bear in our working lives in ways that younger workers simply cannot match. For instance, I don’t have the administrative work I did decades ago on my résumé, as it isn’t directly relevant now. However, that experience shaped me and gives me the ability to better relate to non-technical people as a support professional.Younger people don’t have that kind of added value.
The average older worker has been out of school and their parents’ homes for a long time, meaning that they have experience managing their own finances and households independently (or with life partners). That gives us a certain respect for the value of money and time that nothing else does. How much of that experience does someone right out of school have?
Most older workers are also post-parenting. Their kids are grown and reasonably independent (whether out of the house or not), so they aren’t going to be juggling pregnancies, soccer practices, and music lessons that will impact their work lives. Grandchildren? Yes, some of us have them. Being a grandparent is, however, a far less time-consuming commitment for most people than being a parent.
Finally, there’s nothing else that beats maturity for giving you a calm temperament. Some people are born with them, but on average, it’s easier for someone with 30 years of professional experience to put one bad day into perspective than it is for someone with a few months or years of working under their belts. (I know there are exceptions to this, as to every rule, but Donald Trump probably isn’t applying to work at your startup.)
The next time you get a résumé or application from a Baby Boomer or Gen X’er, then, please take these factors into account. Consider their technical skills, certainly? (and don’t assume that they’ll be outdated) ?but weigh their maturity on the positive side of the scale, for a change.
(Originally published at Medium)
Welcome to Esther!
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Home, Relationships
I’m a Mémé! Otherwise known as a grandmother 🙂 My baby girl had a baby girl on Sunday, September 11. Little Esther is absolutely beautiful, of course — she looks a lot like her mother did as an infant.
Both Momma and baby are healthy. I’m fortunate enough to be in Omaha with them for now, and I’m enjoying every minute of my time here. There’s nothing else like the smell of a sweet, clean infant. It’s definitely worth all the sleep loss.
We’re getting lots of good singing and reading time together. I was very happy to be able to find Pamela Ballingham’s Earth Mother Lullabies from Around the World series (volumes I
One of the first books I bought for her? A is for Activist
Tags: Esther
Book Review: Magic to the Bone
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews
Magic to the Bone by Annie Bellet
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Boss Fight!
The climax to the Samir storyline that has been building throughout all seven volumes of the series, this plot does not disappoint. My only complaint about the book, as with the other six, is that it’s short. Still, it’s as long as it needs to be to tell the story, with nothing extraneous, so I guess it is the right length.
Book Review: Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Book Reviews
Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Not quite as good as her first book, but well worth the read. I probably should have gotten the abridged version, because as usual I got tired of the anecdotes.
I find her types interesting — there are upholders, obligers, questioners, and rebels. Apparently most people are questioners or obligers (I think — I may be wrong about the obligers). (I’m a questioner, so for once in my life I’m not weird.) Then she classifies people in additional ways, like abstainers or moderators and so on. In fact, there seems to be some sort of classification or label in nearly every chapter!
Anyway, the information in the book is useful, and I am already using it in analyzing my own habits and improving them. Rubin’s reading voice is fairly pleasant (I listened to the Audible version), so I don’t hesitate to recommend the book.
Review: LG Tone Infinim Headset
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Product Reviews
I purchased the LG TONE INFINIM Bluetooth Stereo Headset on Amazon to use with my iPhone 6+. I was so excited! From the reviews and description, it sounded like exactly what I wanted for listening to music while working out and still being able to take calls.
When I got it, I immediately paired it up and could hear my music with beautiful clarity. Great balance, nice highs and lows. I hate most earbuds, but these fit in my ears very well. There was just one problem — I couldn’t hear anyone on phone calls, and callers couldn’t hear me. Hmm.
Thinking it was a problem with the headset, I exchanged it. Amazon is great about that kind of thing, you know? I got the new one, paired it, tested it — and had the same problem.
So I tested this one with the boyfriend’s (Android) phone — it worked just fine. I erased my phone completely and set it up as new, and still had the same problem. I sought advice from co-workers (I mean, come on, I do work for Apple) and checked out all the suggestions. No joy. I Googled and could find nothing about problems between this headset and iPhones. In fact, there were reports of it working nicely with the 5 and 5s models.
I went to the Apple store and they swapped out my phone. Same problem. Then we got the bright idea to try the headset with the tech’s iPhone 6, and found that we couldn’t hear calls on it, either.
Finally I did what I should have done originally, and called LG. After finally getting the idea across to a man who didn’t have a firm grasp of the English language, and didn’t even ask what model iPhone I was using, or what version of iOS it was running. He just put me on hold and went away for a bit, then come back and said, “The HBS-900 is not compatible with iPhone.”
I said, “With any iPhone, or just my iPhone?”
“We have not tested with latest,” he said. “You have latest, yes?”
“Yes, the iPhone 6+ running iOS 8.4,” I replied.
“We have not tested,” he said again.
Now that seems a major oversight on LG’s part, and while the product description mentions an Android app for easy pairing, it also says there’s a manual pairing mode (which I used) for other devices. That’s nothing like saying, “This won’t work with iPhones” and it is misleading marketing. I am very unhappy that LG has overlooked such a huge market segment with this poor decision, and that I have wasted so much time on this thing as a result. I’ve had decent experiences with LG products in the past, but I’ll think twice before buying anything from them in the future.